TEHRAN- Iran’s daily natural gas exports hit a record high of 79 million cubic meters (mcm) during the Iranian calendar month of Tir (June 21-July 21), Head of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC)’s Dispatching Department said.

“Iran's gas exports to other countries had never reached 70 million cubic meters per day, but in Tir a new record was set and [the exports] reached 79 million cubic meters per day,” Shana quoted Mohammadreza Jolaei as saying.

The official noted that the average figure for the daily exports of gas to Iraq and Turkey currently stands at 75 mcm.

According to Jolaei, this record has been achieved in a situation where Iran is at the peak of its summer electricity consumption and most of the gas refineries have been under annual overhaul.

The consumption by the country’s power plant was also at its peak, however, their required gas was fully supplied and no liquid fuel was used, he added.

The official reminded that the country's natural gas is currently exported to Iraq and Turkey and Iran is ready to provide any amount requested by the importers.

Back in June, NIGC Managing Director Hassan Montazer Torbati announced that natural gas exports to the neighboring countries increased by 3.6 billion cubic meters in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19) registering a 26-percent rise year on year.

Referring to the gas industry’s new records in production, transmission, distribution, and exports during the previous Iranian calendar year, Torbati pointed to the unprecedented increase of natural gas exports last year and said that the surge in exports was realized despite the significant increase in the domestic consumption.

Earlier in May, Torbati had said that the conditions governing Iran’s long-term gas contracts probably undergo essential changes after the coronavirus pandemic.

The official told ILNA that Iran would introduce new pricing mechanisms in gas export deals in the future, without elaborating on how they would work.

EF/MA