TEHRAN - The managing director of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said the company is planning on putting the country’s private sector in charge of managing the gas network, Shana reported on Sunday.

Hassan Montazer Torbati made the remarks on the sidelines of a visit to Hashemi-Nezhad Gas Refinery in northeastern Iran.

The official noted that NIGC’s future policies are going to be mainly focused on supply management and in this regard in the near future, various areas of activity including exploitation, refineries, and operation of pipelines as well as distribution of gas in the cities will be awarded to the private sector.

“NIGC plans to connect 3000 villages to the country’s gas network every year so that within the next three years all the rural areas with the possibility of accessing the network will get connected.” Torbati said.

The NIGC director put the total Iranian refineries daily gas output at 800 cubic meters saying, currently 37,000 kilometers of high-pressure gas pipeline distribute sweet gas across the country.

EF/MA