NIGC extends high pressure gas network

Gas supply director at the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Mojtaba Sheikh-Bahaei told Shana that NIGC has completed its undertakings promised during the president's provincial tours in the past years and will finish the remaining work in the next Iranian calendar year (beginning March 20, 2013). Comparing coverage of gas services from the victory of the Islamic revolution in 1979 to 2005 and from 2005 up to the end of the last Iranian calendar year, the official said, "The length of high pressure gas pipelines laid in the last six years makes up 72.5 percent of the total gas pipelines laid during the first 26 years after 1979 revolution." "During the first 26 years after the revolution 19.840 thousand kilometers of high pressure gas pipelines were laid while it has reached 34 thousand kilometers in the last six years," the official noted. He added that building gas compressor stations had increased by 72.5 percent in the last six years reaching 69 stations, while construction of rural and urban gas network has risen by 100 percent reaching 208.846 thousand kilometers. According to the official the number of gas service subscribers has increased by about 14.5 million, while the number of splitters installed increased by 62 percent. Also the number of families benefiting gas services reached 18.2 million in the last six years, showing 72.8 growth in comparison to the years after the revolution leading to 2005. Stating that from the beginning of the Islamic revolution up to 2005, 541 towns and cities and about 12 thousand villages benefited gas services, the official added that during the last six years gas coverage has been extended to 920 cities and towns, and 12.500 villages, indicating 520 percent growth in comparison with the first period. Sheikh-Bahaei said that the number of power plants covered by gas supply services rose from 41 power plants to 64 power plants indicating 56 percent of growth.