Turkish pipeline explosion halts gas exports from Iran

Turkish pipeline explosion halts gas exports from Iran

2011-08-12 23:21:54 GMT+7 (ICT)

TEHRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Iranian gas flow to Turkey was halted on Friday after an explosion damaged a pipeline in eastern Turkey, Iranian state-run media reported.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene and were ultimately able to put out the blaze, which had spread hundreds of meters (feet) wide with flames that leapt tens of meters (feet) into the air. There were no causalities as a result of the explosion and fire, according to the Fars News Agency.

Shortly after the explosion, a spokesman for the National Iranian Gas Company expressed its readiness to immediately fix the gas pipeline. "The blast in the gas pipeline in the Turkish territory has disrupted the exports and we have announced readiness for its immediate repair," Majid Bujarzadeh said.

Bujarzadeh added that Iran is waiting for an answer from Turkey to resume the current 24 million cubic meters (847 million cubic feet) gas exports to the country.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion.

Last week, it took firefighters 10 hours to put out a fire on an oil pipeline in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan in southwestern Iran. The pipe is one of the country's longest with the capacity to transfer up to 4,000 barrels per day.

Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil producer and sits on the world's second largest natural gas reserves.

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