Interesting look at some of the proposed natural gas pipelines into Europe.
The South Pars / North Dome field is a natural gas condensate field located in the Persian Gulf. It is the world’s largest gas field, shared between Iran and Qatar. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the field holds an estimated 1,800 trillion cubic feet (51 trillion cubic metres) of in-situ natural gas and some 50 billion barrels (7.9 billion cubic metres) of natural gas condensates.
This gas field covers an area of 9,700 square kilometres (3,700 sq mi), of which 3,700 square kilometres (1,400 sq mi) (South Pars) is in Iranian territorial waters and 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq mi) (North Dome) is in Qatari territorial waters.
According to International Energy Agency (IEA), the combined structure is the world’s largest gas field. The field recoverable gas reserve is equivalent to some 215 billion barrels (34.2 billion cubic metres) of oil and it also holds about 16 billion barrels (2.5 billion cubic metres) of recoverable condensate corresponding of about 230 billion barrels (37 billion cubic metres) of oil equivalent recoverable hydrocarbons.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Par … sate_field
The Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline (called the Friendship Pipeline by the governments involved and the Islamic gas pipeline by some Western sources) is a proposed natural gas pipeline running from the Iranian South Pars / North Dome Gas-Condensate field towards Europe via Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon to supply European customers as well as Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. The pipeline was planned to be 5,600 km (3,500 mi) long and have a diameter of 56 inches.
A previous proposal, known as the Persian Pipeline, had seen a route from Iran’s South Pars to Europe via Turkey; it was apparently abandoned after the Swiss energy company Elektrizitätsgesellschaft Laufenburg halted its contract with Iran in October 2010 in the face of pressure over US sanctions against Iran.
In July 2011 Iran, Iraq and Syria said they planned to sign a contract potentially worth around $6bn to construct a pipeline running from South Pars towards Europe, via these countries and Lebanon and then under the Mediterranean to a European country, with a refinery and related infrastructure in Damascus.
In November 2012 the United States dismissed reports that construction had begun on the pipeline, saying that this had been claimed repeatedly and that “it never seems to materialize.” A framework agreement was to be signed in early 2013, with costs now estimated at $10bn; construction plans were delayed by the Syrian civil war.
The pipeline would be a competitor to the Nabucco pipeline from Azerbaijan to Europe. It is also an alternative to the Qatar-Turkey pipeline which had been proposed by Qatar to run from Qatar to Europe via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Turkey. Syria’s rationale for rejecting the Qatar proposal was said to be “to protect the interests of [its] Russian ally, which is Europe’s top supplier of natural gas.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-Iraq-Syria_pipeline.
The Qatar-Turkey pipeline is a proposed natural gas pipeline running from the Iranian-Qatari South Pars / North Dome Gas-Condensate field towards Turkey, where it could connect with the Nabucco pipeline to supply European customers as well as Turkey. One route to Turkey is via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria,and another is through Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.
Syria’s rationale for rejecting the Qatar proposal was said to be “to protect the interests of [its] Russian ally, which is Europe’s top supplier of natural gas.”
In 2012 an analyst cited by Ansa Mediterranean suggested that Qatar’s involvement in the Syrian civil war was based in part on its desire to build a pipeline to Turkey through Syria:
“The discovery in 2009 of a new gas field near Israel, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Syria opened new possibilities to bypass the Saudi Barrier and to secure a new source of income. Pipelines are in place already in Turkey to receive the gas. Only Al-Assad is in the way. Qatar along with the Turks would like to remove Al-Assad and install the Syrian chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood. It is the best organized political movement in the chaotic society and can block Saudi Arabia’s efforts to install a more fanatical Wahhabi based regime. Once the Brotherhood is in power, the Emir’s broad connections with Brotherhood groups throughout the region should make it easy for him to find a friendly ear and an open hand in Damascus.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar-Turkey_pipeline
Persian Pipeline, also known as the Pars Pipeline and Iran–Europe pipeline, is a proposed natural gas pipeline to transfer Iranian gas from the Persian Gulf to European markets.
This planned pipeline will connect Iran’s South Pars gas field with Turkey and then with European markets. It would consist of two principal sections:
-
Iranian section, also is called Iran Gas Trunkline 9 or IGAT-9, starting in Assaluyeh will transport gas from South Pars gas field to the city of Bazargan at the border with Turkey.
-
The European section, which will cross Turkey, passing on to Greece and Italy. In Italy the pipeline would be split:
-
the northern branch will run to Switzerland, Austria and Germany, while southern branch will supply France and Spain.
It is not clear if the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, foreseen for Iran gas export to Europe, would be part of this project or not.
The pipeline is proposed as a Build-Own-Operate project. According to the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC) two Iranian and two foreign companies were bidding for the contract awarded to one Iranian company or consortium and one foreign company. It is possible that Iran and Turkey will set up a joint company for the building of a pipeline in Iran to the Turkish border, and another joint company on the construction of a gas pipeline in Turkey from Iran’s border to the Greek border. It is also alleged that Iran is relying on financial involvement from China. China is reportedly to consider $42.8 billion for investment in Iranian refineries and pipelines. Iranian Oil Minister Masoud Mir Kazemi confirmed in July 2010 that NIGEC and Turkey’s Som Petrol signed a contract to build a pipeline that will cross Turkey.
The Persian pipeline is seen as an alternative to the Nabucco pipeline. Although Iran was willing to be a part of the Nabucco project, the Iranian government reconsidered its options and decided to focus on the Persian pipeline. According to Hossein Zoulanvar, a member of Majlis Energy Commission of Iran, the reasoning to construct and use Persian pipeline for exports to Europe instead comes from US pressures on European countries to impose sanctions on Iranian gas sector.
It is noteworthy that Russia which had been trying to block Nabucco project from realization has been trying to re-route Azerbaijani gas exports planned for initial phase of the project through other possible pipelines such as Mozdok – Makhachkala – Kazi Magomed pipeline. Although many argue that Persian pipeline may seem as an alternative to Nabucco, hence rival to South Stream project, Russia denounces the allegations and backs the Iranian initiative of building Persian pipeline.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Pipeline