Iran starts urgent gas exports to Georgia at 1-mil cu m/d: report

Tehran (Platts)--30Jan2006

Iran has started to export natural gas to Georgia at a rate of 1-mil cu
m/day over the next 30 days to offset the energy-starved country's supply
shortages, a senior official said Monday.
     "A daily amount of 1-mil cu m of gas are exported to Georgia upon its
request and based on an agreement signed between our countries because of the
current difficult situation and crisis following the disruption of Russia's
gas exports to Georgia," deputy oil minister in charge of international
affairs, Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian, told the oil ministry news agency Shana. 
     The exports are made via Azerbaijan and would total 30-mil cu m,
Nejad-Hosseinian said. 
     "The total value of Iran's gas exports to Georgia is about $7-mil and
given the crucial situation of Georgia, as well as the limited time and volume
of the exports, the gas supply is discounted and paid back by cash," he said.
     Georgia looked to Iran Jan 22 for emergency natural gas supplies after
explosions on the Northern Caucasus-Transcaucasus and Mozdok-Tbilisi export
gas pipelines cut its main gas supply from Russian Gazprom.
     Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili condemned the explosions as
political and premeditated acts by Russia, which denied the allegations, 
     Russia resumed Sunday natural gas supplies to Georgia after repair work
on the damaged trunk gas pipeline finished, Russia news services reported.
Work had been hampered by bitter cold weather and strong winds hitting the
region.

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