Iran-India gas pipeline project on course

New Delhi, Nov 17 (UNI) The proposed seven billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India Gas pipeline project expected to meet the growing energy needs of the country is on course.

This was conveyed after a meeting today between Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki here.

Mr Mottaki expressed optimism on the take off of the gas pipeline project.

The project is a proposed 2,775 km gas pipeline project to deliver gas from Iran to Pakistan and India. The project is expected to take three to five years to complete.

India projected needs are 400 million cubic metres of gas per day by 2025, up from 90 million cubic metres per day in 2005.

The project was conceptualised in 1989 by former Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) Chief Dr R K Pachauri, in partnership with Dr Ali Shams Ardekani, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran.

The pipeline is proposed to start from Assaluyah, South Pars stretching over 1100 kilometres in Iran itself. In Pakistan, it will pass through Baluchistan and Sind. The total cost of the project was estimated to be over seven billion dollars in 2006.

The deal reached a setback on July 16, 2006 when Iran demanded a price of 7.2 dollars per mBtu (Million British Thermal Units) of gas against India's offer of 4.2 dollars per mBtu. India maintained that Tehran's price is more than 50 per cent the prevailing market determined gas price in India.

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