Speaking during a visit to the National Iranian Gas Company’s (NIGC)
dispatching centre, Paknejad said falling temperatures across the country had
significantly increased household and commercial gas consumption, requiring
tighter management of supplies.
“Under these conditions, a larger volume of gas must be directed to
the residential, commercial and small industrial sectors,” Paknejad said,
adding that deliveries to power plants and major industries had been reduced to
ensure overall network stability.
Paknejad praised the efforts of gas sector employees, saying the
stability of the network was the result of round-the-clock operational
management. “Daily injections of light gas into the national network have
reached 877 million cubic metres, which is a very high figure,” he said.
He added that upstream gas production by the National Iranian Oil
Company had increased, with processed gas supplied to refineries before being
injected into the grid.
The petroleum minister also said gas storage levels at the Sarajeh and
Shourijeh facilities had reached a new record, with total stored volumes around
20% higher than last year. This has enabled higher withdrawal rates this year,
particularly from the Shourijeh reservoir.
Paknejad reiterated that supplying households, commercial users and
small industries remained the government’s top priority and urged consumers to
use gas efficiently.
“Efficient consumption does not mean using less, but using gas
correctly and rationally,” he said, calling on households to maintain
recommended indoor temperatures and limit heating to necessary spaces.
He said managing the gas network under current conditions was highly
challenging, but no gas outages had been recorded despite pressure reductions
in some areas.
“The stability of the gas network is the result of the expertise and
dedication of our colleagues,” Paknejad said, adding that public cooperation
would play a key role in ensuring uninterrupted gas supplies through the
winter.