2008/11/18 日本経済新聞夕刊
ペルシャ湾ガス田開発 トルコ・イラン合意 パイプラインで欧州へ
イランのノザリ石油相は１７日、同国とトルコがイラン南部の天然ガス田の共同開発で合意したと述べた。ペルシャ湾の大型ガス田２鉱区を開発し、産出するガスはパイプラインでトルコに輸出、将来は欧州にも供給する。天然ガスの調達先分散を急ぐトルコと、開発資金を求めるイランの思惑が合致した。イランとのエネルギー協力は同国の包囲網を敷く米国を刺激する可能性がある。
イランを訪問したトルコのギュレル・エネルギー天然資源相とノザリ石油相が覚書に調印した。南パルスガス田の「フェーズ23」「同24」と呼ばれる２鉱区を共同開発する。産出するガスの50%をトルコに輸出、将来は年間350億立方メートルのガスをトルコ経由で欧州に輸出する。
Iran, Turkey sign gas accord
Tehran and Ankara on Monday signed an accord reinforcing agreements to develop Iran's gas fields and on the transit of Iranian gas to Europe, the official news agency IRNA reported.
The accord covers the development of three phases -- 22, 23 and 24 -- in Iran's South Pars offshore gas field with Turkish investment as well as gas transfer to Europe via Turkey at a rate of 35 billion cubic metres a year.
It envisages the joint construction of a 1,850-kilometre (1,200-mile) pipeline from the southern Gulf port of Assaluyeh, off where South Pars lies, to the Bazargan border area with Turkey in northwest Iran.
Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari and his Turkish counterpart Hilmi Guler signed the accord in Tehran.
"It was agreed that 50 percent of the gas from these (three South Pars) phases be sold to Turkey," Nozari said, quoted by the oil ministry's news website Shana in a joint press conference with Guler.
Each phase of South Pars gas field has been designed to produce 25 million cubic metres of gas a day.
Turkey already buys gas via a conduit from the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz to Ankara at a rate of around 10 billion cubic metres a year.
Iran itself imports around 25 million cubic metres of gas a day from Turkmenistan.
The initial gas deal in 2007 was criticised by Washington, which urges its allies -- including NATO member Turkey -- to cut business with Iran over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Ankara could play a positive role as a mediator in the stalled negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme.
The West fears Iran may be using its atomic plans to develop weapons, but Tehran vehemently denies the allegation.