While some Iranian energy officials had earlier said Iran’s natural gas exports to Iraq would begin by mid-March 2014, higher consumption in Iran during the cold season and Iraq’s delays in constructing its side of the pipeline will defer the project by a few months. Iran, which has the largest gas reserves in the world, seeks to enhance gas production by increasing foreign and domestic investments. But it is still a net importer of the energy source as the local demand has outstripped production increases. Iran is particularly dependent on imports during winter months, when residential heating demand peaks. Iran exports natural gas to Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, and receives pipeline imports from Turkmenistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan. Since 2000, Iran’s annual natural gas imports have exceeded its exports in all but two years (2010 and 2012). In 2011 and 2012, Iran […]