Saeid Tavakoli, managing director of the company, said a new phase of development has begun at the country’s two largest gas storage facilities. According to the National Iranian Gas Co., the Sarajeh reservoir near the central city of Qom currently has an annual storage capacity of about 1 billion cubic meters. Expansion projects will raise that figure by 500 million cubic meters to 1.5 billion cubic meters.

Tavakoli said the Shourijeh D reservoir, one of Iran’s most important gas storage centers in the northeast, currently has a capacity of about 2.025 billion cubic meters. With the completion of new development projects, its capacity will increase to 4.5 billion cubic meters per year.

Tavakoli described expanding gas storage capacity as a key strategy to strengthen energy security, manage seasonal fluctuations in consumption and improve the resilience of the gas transmission and distribution network. He said that once expansion at Sarajeh and Shourijeh is complete, Iran will be able to rely on about 6 billion cubic meters of stored gas to support the network during peak winter demand.

He also announced the start of feasibility studies for gas storage at the Sorkhoon field in southern Iran and at the Shourijeh B structure in the northeast. The studies could pave the way for new storage facilities and greater operational flexibility in both regions, he said, adding that expanded storage capacity plays a major role in ensuring stable gas supplies for power plants and industries.

Tavakoli said the projects align with the Oil Ministry’s broader goals of ensuring sustainable energy supply, particularly during winter. Once fully operational, the projects will more than double the country’s gas storage capacity compared with previous levels.

He added that technical measures implemented this year have already increased gas storage volumes at Sarajeh and Shourijeh by 20% compared with 1403, a move he said will significantly enhance the stability of Iran’s gas network during the cold months of 1404.