Tehran (Platts)--26May2008

Iran has stopped all gas exports to Turkey after a huge explosion struck
the pipeline on the Turkish side, a senior Iranian gas official said Monday.
National Iranian Gas Company director for production, transfer and
dispaching, Hassan Montazer Torbati, was quoted by the Mehr news agency as
saying the blast hit a 40-inch gas pipeline. "The explosion was so big that
its light could be seen from the Bazargan (gas) station close to the
Iran-Turkey border and its sound was also heard in the border area."
He confirmed that gas exports to Turkey have been halted completely, the
agency said. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known.
Turkey is currently Iran's only customer for pipeline gas exports under a
25-year agreement between the two neighboring countries for the export of 25
to 30 million cubic meters per day of Iranian gas.
Torbati said the explosion appeared to have occurred some 15 km (9 miles)
from the Iranian border on the Turkish side.