Search for Gas

Search for gas option amid security worry
From "The Telegraph"

New Delhi, Dec. 24: India is looking at other gas sources as security concerns loom large over the proposed $7.4-billion Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline.

Petroleum ministry officials said New Delhi was planning to procure gas from other regions while keeping the pipeline project under active consideration.

According to officials, security concerns rather than differences over the price were the main hurdle to the project.

“The major concern is Pakistan sitting in between and Iran’s refusal to guarantee delivery as far as the Indian border,” the officials said.

India’s strategic ties with Washington is being cited as another reason for New Delhi going slow. The US is not in favour of the pipeline as it believes that Tehran can use the money from the gas sale for its nuclear programme.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister Mohammad Mehdi Akhoundzadeh had recently met external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and discussed ways to break the deadlock.

Iran has offered to host a meeting of the energy ministers of the three countries in Tehran.

Officials said the demand for imported gas was likely to fall sharply in the next two years as domestic production rises and local demand wanes.

However, for strategic reasons, New Delhi would continue to look at the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline, which has the support of the US government. India might also want to source natural gas from Qatar, which has reserves of 14.4 trillion cubic metres.

Myanmar is another source that could be accessed by connecting the neighbouring country to the Indian gas grid through Tripura.

According to preliminary estimates, the pipeline from Turkmenistan will be able to export 100 million cubic meters of gas per day from the Dauletabad gas field, with the bulk coming to India.

Besides, India plans to auction over 100 oil and gas blocks under the eighth round of the New Exploration Licensing Policy.

I had mentioned in one of our earlier blogs that it would be foolhardy for India to go into the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipe line.
Pakistan is a completely unreliable neighbour.The latest proof, if any was further required after Kargil,, was the Mumbai massacre.
Unless Pakistan removes all terror camps and for at least 10 years, India sees that no terrorists are emnating from that country, we should not rely on them.
No matter how cheap the gas may be available, we should not go for it. otherwise at the most critical time Pakistan would swich off supplies.
It would be easier straightening a dog's tail than to change Pakistan's nefarious, diabolical nature.

Radheshyam