Iranian infrastructure intended to produce 70 million tons of liquefied natural gas for European and Asian markets is 30 percent complete, officials said.
Alireza Qasemi Javid, the marketing manager at the National Iranian Gas Export Co., said Iran has seven LNG facilities in various stages of development that will contribute to the target production rate, the semiofficial Mehr News Agency reports.
Iran aims to ship LNG to Asian and European markets. Tehran says it is negotiating with Austria, Germany, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and China for potential LNG shipments.
Iran sits on some of the largest natural gas reserves in the world.
Western-backed sanctions and domestic capacity prohibits Iran from establishing energy ties in some markets, however.
Tehran said most of its $5.5 million LNG projects will enter
operations by 2015.
"It is estimated that the LNG project's first sweetening unit will become operational in winter 2011," said Ali Kheyrandish, a director at the National Iranian Oil Co.
