Iraq Joins the Arab Gas Pipeline Project

Cairo, 26 September, 2004- The governments of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, the Arab Gas Pipeline partners, have agreed to let Iraq join the Arab Gas Pipeline grid so that it can export gas to Europe by the end of this decade.

Iraq had agreed to export natural gas to Kuwait and would now seek help from an international advisor to study the best route for a pipeline linking Iraq to the Arab gas grid.

In a press statement held after the meeting of the five countries Ministers Egypt’s minister of petroleum Eng. Sameh Fahmy said that the work on the second phase of the Arab gas pipeline is progressing according to schedule and it is expected to be commissioned by 2005.

The second phase of the project extended from the Jordanian port of Aqaba to El Rehab in Jordan just 24 km from the Syrian boarder with a total length of 390 km and $300 million cost. The Egyptian consortium formed between EGAS, ENPPI, PETROGET and GASCO currently develops this phase.