Syria Completes First Stage of Arab Gas Pipeline

Text of report in English by Syrian News Agency SANA website

Syrian-Jordanian borders, 17 February: Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Sufyan al-Allaw affirmed on Sunday [17 February] that the Syrian Petroleum Company has completed work on the Arab Gas Pipeline within Syrian lands, and that the pipeline is now ready to transport gas from Egypt through Jordan and to the stations of Tishrin and Dayr Ali.

During a field visit to the gas reception station on Syrian- Jordanian borders, Al-Allaw said that the Arab Pipeline was connected to the Syrian gas network in Tishrin station and that the gas pressure is enough for calibration and tests, expressing hope that the Jordanian side will finalize work on the pipeline in Jordan within the coming days.

Al-Allaw stressed the importance of gas in generating electricity as an efficient and nature-friendly source of energy, adding that the Syrian Petroleum Company will begin work on the second stage of the Arab Pipeline, which extends from Aleppo to the Turkish borders, estimating that work will take a year and a half to complete the second stage.

He added that Egypt will pump 900 million cubic meters of gas to Syria within the first year, and that the amount will increase gradually to meet Syria’s increasing demand for gas.

The Arab Gas Pipelines is one of the most important Arab projects, as it connects Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, transporting and marketing gas through these countries to Turkey and Europe. The Pipelines extend for 1200km from Al-Arish in Egypt through Jordan and Syria all the way to the Turkish borders, with 600 km of them in Syria.

Originally published by SANA news agency website, Damascus in English 17 Feb 08.

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