BOTAS SAYS IT COMPLETED PIPE NETWORK TO IMPORT IRANIAN GAS

Turkish State Gas Company (Botas) said in a communique on Thursday that Turkey completed the pipe network to import Iranian gas, IRNA reports. The communique said that Botas dispatched a team to Iran on Wednesday to sign an accord on streamlining the pipeline. Botas said it has completed construction of the gas pipeline in Turkish territory adding that the team will visit the installations Iran has set up at Bazargan border area in the Iranian territory ahead of linking up the cross-border pipeline. Iran and Turkey entered into a contract in 1997 according to which Iran will export 10 billion cubic meters of gas annually for 25 years. The project was scheduled to start commissioning from January 2000.

Iran had completed setting up the pipeline on the Iranian side on time and lit up a torchlight on the border point upon completion of the network, but, the Turkish partner said it failed to complete laying pipeline on its territory as per it was expected to. Botas agreed in January 2000 to compensate Iran for lagging behind the schedule.