Regional focus

E. Gerden, Contributing Writer Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom is strengthening its presence in the gas market of the Middle East through the planned construction of an 11-metric-MMtpy–12-metric-MMtpy LNG plant in Iran. The plant will source gas from the South Pars gas field (Fig. 1), Iran’s largest. The majority of the LNG product will be exported to Southeast Asia and the EU. Fig. 1. The South Pars field, from which the new LNG plant will source its gas. The expansion into Southeast Asia will allow both Russia and Iran to form the so-called Middle East-Asian Energy Ring. It will also make the two countries the largest suppliers of LNG to one of the world’s mos