Hedayatollah Khademi stated about the gas imbalance situation and the potential challenges in supplying fuel for power plants and industries in the winter season that, during the damages caused by the war, out of a total of 230 million cubic meters of lost capacity, 100 million cubic meters have been returned to the cycle. Following this event, the central oil company launched several projects to compensate for the production decrease, and reconstruction efforts were also made in South Pars.
Decrease of 400 Million Cubic Meters in Gas Production
He added: Before these events, the country's gas production was about 800 million cubic meters per day, but we faced a reduction in production during peak consumption periods. Currently, the decrease of 400 million cubic meters in gas production is a very significant figure and means losing a considerable portion of production capacity and creating serious limitations in meeting the country's needs. This former member of the Energy Commission of the Parliament pointed out the consequences of this situation for industries in the winter season, stating that a daily reduction of 400 million cubic meters of gas could lead to the halt of production in many industries.
Potential Gas Tension in 11 Provinces of the Country
Khademi emphasized the possibility of gas supply limitations in the winter season, stating: Of course, the situation largely depends on the temperature, and we hope that the cold weather will not be severe enough to pose a serious challenge to the country. However, northern provinces and some other regions will face more problems, and as announced, 11 provinces are at risk of gas tension. This energy expert continued: In such conditions, the priority for gas supply will be with the residential sector, and limitations will mainly be imposed on industries.
He also referred to the economic consequences of this decision, saying: Industries will face difficulties in paying employee salaries, fulfilling financial obligations, and repaying bank debts. As a result, we may face an economic domino effect that could exacerbate recession and inflation in the country.
Need for Development of Joint Fields
Regarding whether gas imports could be a solution to compensate for the gas shortage in the winter, Khademi said: Securing gas through imports for a country that holds the second-largest gas reserves in the world is not a correct strategy. He emphasized: The fundamental solution is to move towards the development of various gas fields, especially joint fields. Imports, in addition to creating dependency in the energy sector, impose significant costs on the country's economy.
This energy expert criticized the country's performance in developing joint oil and gas fields, stating: Qatar has always performed better than Iran and started extracting from the South Pars joint field years earlier than us. He added: In previous years, even in peaceful conditions and before the intensification of international restrictions, we did not take appropriate actions to develop joint fields.
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