TEHRAN, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Iran has increased its capacity to deliver natural gas to northern neighbours including Turkey to 55 million cubic metres (mcm) per day, an energy official said in comments published on Monday.
The Islamic Republic is Turkey's second-biggest supplier of natural gas after Russia and it also delivers gas to Armenia. In addition, it helps transmit gas from Azerbaijan to that country's Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan.
Valiollah Dini, who heads a northern gas transmission zone in Iran, said it now had the "capacity to increase gas exports to Turkey to up to 40 mcm per day, to Nakhchivan up to 5 mcm per day and to Armenia up to 10 mcm per day."
He added, in comments carried by business daily Abrar Eqtesadi: "The capacity of Iran's gas transmission to and from northern and northwestern neighbouring countries was raised to 55 million cubic metres per day for the winter time."
Dini suggested this figure had been increased from 22.5 mcm, but did not make clear over what time period the rise had taken place. In January, an Iranian official said Iran exports about 12-15 mcm per day to Turkey.
Iran has the world's second-largest natural gas reserves after Russia, but Western sanctions over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme and other issues have slowed its development as a major exporter. (Reporting by Reza Derakhshi; writing by Fredrik Dahl; editing by Anthony Barker)