Iran Says It Will Restore Lost Gas Production by End of September

Tehran, Iran – Iran's oil minister said Tuesday that the country has lost about 95 million cubic meters of natural gas production capacity per day after part of its gas processing facilities in Assaluyeh were damaged.

Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said the lost production capacity is expected to return to the production cycle by the end of September.

The damage happened during the war with the United States and Israel. Some gas processing facilities in Assaluyeh, in Bushehr province, were hit.

Paknejad said the impact has been "largely offset by using capacity at other refineries". He added that reconstruction of four damaged refineries is "proceeding simultaneously and at an accelerated pace".

"Debris removal, the first stage of the work, has been completed, while an implementation framework has been established and contractors have begun operations," Paknejad said.

He said rebuilding is expected to be completed ahead of schedule, allowing the full lost capacity to return to the gas production network.

However, Paknejad noted that some of the restored capacity will remain unavailable during the cold season. He called on the public to cooperate in saving gas.

"Consumers' efforts to manage use would provide significant help in navigating the challenges ahead," he said.

Iran is one of the world's leading gas producers and consumers.