Iran to dominate upcoming oil and gas transmission pipeline additions in Middle East by 2027

Iran is expected to dominate the Middle East’s oil and gas trunk/transmission pipeline length additions from upcoming projects between 2023 and 2027, accounting for around 38% of the region’s total planned and announced pipeline additions by 2027, according to GlobalData, the data and analytics company. 

GlobalData’s latest report, Oil and Gas Pipelines Length and Capital Expenditure (CapEx) Outlook by Region, Countries and Companies including Details of New Build (Planned and Announced) Projects and Forecast, 2023-2027, shows that Iran is likely to add a planned pipeline length of 5,340km (from projects that received all necessary approvals) and an announced pipeline length of 770 km (projects that are yet to receive all necessary approvals) by 2027.

Bhargavi Gandham, Oil & Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Natural gas pipelines account for more than half of the total transmission pipeline length additions in Iran by 2027. These additions will help the country to meet high domestic gas demand from its industrial, petrochemicals, and residential sectors.”

Iranian Gas Trunk Line–IGAT XI pipeline is the largest upcoming transmission pipeline project by 2027 in the country, with a total length of 1,200 km. This onshore gas pipeline is presently in the construction stage and is likely to begin operations in 2023. To be owned and operated by National Iranian Gas Co, it helps to meet gas demand in provinces such as Bushehr, Fars, Yazd, and Isfahan.

With a total length of 1,000 km, Goureh–Jask oil pipeline ranks second among upcoming transmission pipelines in Iran. This onshore oil pipeline is presently in the commissioning stage and is scheduled to start operations in 2023. To be operated by Petroleum Engineering and Development Co, it helps to transport crude oil to its Jask oil terminal for storage and exports.

GlobalData estimates Iraq to occupy second place in the Middle East in terms of transmission pipeline length additions, with 3,078 km by 2027. Oil pipelines account for almost entire pipeline length additions in the country. Basra–Aqaba Oil, and Iraq–Turkey II are the major upcoming oil pipelines with a length of 1,700km and 1,000 km, respectively. Both pipelines are being planned for oil exports from the country.

Israel closely follows Iraq with an upcoming transmission pipeline length additions of 2,975km. All the upcoming pipelines in the country are natural gas pipelines. EastMed is the largest upcoming pipeline in Israel, with a total length of 2,000 km. To be operated by IGI Poseidon SA, the pipeline is presently in the FEED stage and is expected to start operations by 2027.

Bhargavi concludes: “EastMed gas pipeline is being proposed to export natural gas from the Levantine Basin to Greece through the Mediterranean Sea. It can become an alternate source of natural gas to southeast Europe and help reduce dependency on Russian gas imports.”