By Gbemisola Azeez
Iran is accelerating efforts to repair damaged gas-processing facilities after losing 95 million cubic metres per day in production capacity, as the country faces growing pressure on its energy supply ahead of winter.
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said four damaged facilities in Asaluyeh, a major gas-processing hub in Bushehr Province, are being rebuilt to restore the lost capacity.
According to Iran’s oil ministry news agency, Shana, reconstruction has been accelerated, with contractors already deployed at the affected facilities.
Paknejad said debris removal, the first stage of the recovery operation, had been completed and an implementation framework had been established for the reconstruction work.
However, the minister warned that some of the lost capacity would remain unavailable during the winter, raising concerns over Iran’s ability to meet higher gas demand during the colder months.
He called for tighter management of gas supplies and consumption to prevent disruptions.
The latest loss adds to a much larger decline in Iran’s gas production capacity since the start of the war involving the United States and Israel.
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said in July that the country had lost about 230 million cubic metres per day of natural gas production capacity since the conflict began, according to Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency.
Asaluyeh, located along the Persian Gulf, is a key centre for Iran’s gas-processing industry. The facilities were damaged in an attack earlier this year, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The scale of the losses means Iran faces a difficult challenge ahead of winter, when domestic demand for natural gas typically rises.
While the planned repairs are expected to restore a significant portion of the lost capacity, Paknejad’s warning that some facilities will remain offline means authorities may have to rely on consumption controls and supply management to limit the risk of shortages.
Iran’s ability to restore its damaged gas infrastructure before winter will therefore be critical to maintaining stable energy supplies as the country continues to deal with the effects of the conflict.
