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Qabil Ashirov

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Eleven of Iran's 31 provinces could face serious pressure on gas supplies during the winter months, raising concerns about potential shortages amid growing domestic consumption and reduced production capacity.

According to Iran's Oil Ministry, the warning was issued by Saeed Tavakkoli, Deputy Oil Minister and Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company.

He said Iran's gas production had declined by approximately 13% following US and Israeli strikes on March 18 that hit four gas processing plants and other facilities belonging to the South Pars Gas Processing Company.

"Despite this, the stability of supply across the country's gas network has been maintained," Tavakkoli said.

However, he warned that Iran would face an exceptionally difficult period for gas supplies this winter, with shortages expected to be particularly severe in the provinces of Mazandaran, Golestan and North Khorasan.

Tavakkoli added that national gas consumption had increased by approximately 60 million cubic metres between November 7 and the latest reporting date. The increase is expected to reach around 70 million cubic metres by the end of the week compared with the previous week.

The official noted that gas consumption varies considerably between provinces and is directly linked to the number of subscribers. For example, Tehran's daily gas consumption reaches approximately 125 million cubic metres during peak periods on particularly cold days.

In Mazandaran province, residential and commercial catering establishments account for 94% of total gas consumption, he said.

The deputy minister also addressed Iran's gas pricing policy, saying that tariff increases were being introduced gradually according to subscribers' consumption levels.

"Last year, only 1.33% of subscribers in the country fell into the fourth tariff category, which applies to the highest levels of gas consumption. However, these consumers accounted for approximately 6% of the country's total gas consumption," he said.

Iran holds approximately 34 trillion cubic metres of proven natural gas reserves, making it the world's second-largest country in terms of gas reserves. The country produces around 1.1 billion cubic metres of rich natural gas daily from its gas fields.