Hedayatollah Khademi, in assessing the gas supply situation in the country, highlighted the 400 million cubic meters gas imbalance as one of the fundamental challenges to Iran's energy security. With the approach of winter and the damages caused by the war to some refineries, concerns about domestic fuel supply have increased.
Challenges of Gas Supply in Winter
Khademi stated that despite Iran being the second largest holder of gas reserves in the world, it faces gas cuts for industries in winter and the need to supply domestic fuel. He added that gas production and consumption are such that cold weather directly impacts energy security. Due to the damage to some facilities and gas refineries in recent attacks, the likelihood of problems during peak winter consumption has increased, which will likely lead to gas cuts for some industries.
Status of Gas and Oil Fields
This former parliament representative further referred to the conditions of gas and oil fields, stating that in the shared South Pars field, Qatar is extracting gas at maximum capacity as a competitor to Iran, while Iran continues to struggle with imbalance. He also mentioned the existing delays in oil fields, noting that Iraq is advancing with a production plan of over 5.5 million barrels per day, while Iran's fields have reached the second half of their lifespan and are facing challenges in increasing recovery rates.
Khademi also pointed out the challenges in shared offshore fields, emphasizing that in the Farzad field shared with Saudi Arabia, that country is rapidly developing while Iran has not installed any platform in this field. He described this situation as a serious setback for Iran's oil and gas industry.
Gas Imports and Financial Challenges
He then addressed the issue of gas imports from Turkmenistan, stating that despite Turkmenistan's willingness to swap and transfer gas to Iran, financial problems have hindered this process. Additionally, gas trade with Russia has not yet yielded results. Khademi stressed that this situation is concerning and Iran must seek new solutions to meet its energy needs.
This energy expert ultimately pointed out that incorrect gas supply policies in the country have led Iran, despite having vast gas reserves, to seek temperature reductions in winter to meet domestic needs. He also highlighted the necessity of energy diversification and the responsibility of the public in choosing energy carriers, noting that over the past three decades, Iran has not performed satisfactorily in the field of exports and meeting domestic needs.
