Behnam Mirzaei stated that expanding storage facilities is part of efforts to address part of the country’s gas supply-demand imbalance. 

On Thursday, Mirzaei, during a visit to the progress of the second phase of the Sarajeh gas storage project in Qom, emphasized that developing gas storage fields is a priority for managing consumption during peak demand. 

"Currently, the Sarajeh field can store 1 billion cubic meters of gas annually, but with the completion of the second phase, its capacity will rise to 1.5 billion cubic meters per year," he said. 

Mirzaei noted that expanding storage reservoirs could help offset part of the country’s gas deficit. "The process involves injecting gas into storage during the eight warmer months of the year, which is then withdrawn during the four colder months," he explained. 

He added that the Sarajeh storage project includes upstream and downstream components. The upstream section involves three reconditioned wells that will gradually come online, along with a newly drilled well currently being equipped. 

For the downstream section, a 5,200-meter (3.2-mile), 16-inch pipeline is under construction. This pipeline will facilitate gas injection and withdrawal from the national grid. Additionally, equipment such as dehydrators, temperature regulators, and air-gas coolers will ensure the gas meets Iran National Gas Company standards before entering the transmission network.