Iran's decision to develop her gas resources and utilisation enters a new phase with the implementation of a project to transport gas from the South of the country to the North, for internal consumption and for export to Russia. This scheme, referred to as the Iranian Gas Trunkline, or IGAT Project, will consist of a 680 miles pipeline system originating at the Southern Oil Fields, passing across the Zagros mountains to Esfahan and Saveh, where there will be a spur to Tehran, crossing the Alborz Range, and finally terminating at the frontier at Astara.
En route, the line would also supply gas to about 150 villages for power generation for agricultural purposes.
There will be a gathering system from a number of oil fields which will collect high and medium pressure associated gas, obtained as a result of crude oil production, remove heavy hydrocarbons, treat for water and acid components, and transport dry gas to a central point where it will be compressed for transportation to the North.
The IGAT Project will have a capacity to supply gas commencing with export of about 600 million SCF/D in 1970, rising to about 1000 million SCF/D in 1974, and remaining at that level at constant delivery per day thereafter.
Gas consumption for Iran including main line compressors will be at a daily average of 200 million SCF/D in 1970, rising gradually to 650 million SCF/D in 1979.
The implementation of the project is to be carried out in two phases. During the first phase which takes about 4 years (1966-1970) proper equipment and facilities will be installed to meet the gas requirements up to 1974 for (a) export and (b) for major internal industrial and commercial consumption. This phase of the project is aimed at January 1970 as the target for its completion, and April of the same year as the deadline.
The second phase of implementation will consist of additional horsepower installation in the gathering fields and the main line, extending the gathering system to the adjacent fields for meeting higher gas demands, providing underground storage facilities to cope with the peak requirements for Iranian towns, and extending the distribution network for supplying gas for domestic purposes.
The total installed cost of the facilities of the first phase of IGAT Project is estimated at the equivalent of about $350 million.
The salient parts of the project as brought out in the paper are as follows:
Features of main pipeline, problems of construction in crossing the Zagros and the Alborz ranges.
The bulk of the pipeline in the mountainous area is carried through the central Zagros at an altitude of 1800-2200 metres. The most difficult part of this route is Dinar Mountain, the section about 100 kms from Gach Saran where the altitude changes from 500 metres to 2200 metres in a distance of about 25 kms, with steep sides rising almost vertically.
The terrain of this particular section is extremely rough,
