Tehran (Platts)--15Nov2012/326 am EST/826 GMT

Iran has halted gas imports from Turkmenistan, oil minister Rostam Ghasemi said Wednesday without giving a reason for the stoppage.

Ghasemi, quoted by semi-official news agency Mehr, warned that the fuel situation in winter would be "more difficult than in previous years."

"With stoppage of gas imports from this neighboring country, oil products distributing companies in different provinces should carry out necessary coordination for winter fuel supply with the provincial gas companies," he said.

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Iran's contract with Turkmenistan provides for the import of up to 45 million cu m/d.

Given Tehran's commitment to Ankara for supply of around 28 million cu m/d of natural gas, it is not clear how Iran would maintain both domestic consumption and exports supplies. Turkmenistan's gas was used in northern parts of Iran, where even in past years faced severe gas shortages occasionally.

Ghasemi said the provision of liquid and natural gas fuels should relieve fuel supply in the industrial sector, however.

Ghasemi also said Iran would shortly announce details of diesel fuel rationing it will implement.

--Aresu Eqbali, newsdesk@platts.com --Edited by Kevin Saville, kevin_saville@platts.com

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