Easing Of N-curbs Will Revive India-Iran Gas Pipeline Talks

New Delhi, Jan 22, IRNA -- In a move that will revive prospects of billion dollar Iran-India gas pipeline and ensure participation of Indian companies in prestigious Farzad-B Gas Field in Tehran, New Delhi and Tehran are close to forging a strategic commercial cooperation pact. The Farzad-B gas field is estimated to hold three times the size of known gas reserves in Reliance Industries’ KG-D6 block Iran petroleum minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh had on December 22 extended an invitation to his Indian counterpart Veerappa Moily to visit Tehran and hold discussions over consolidating the bilateral co-operation pact between the two nations. Moily plans to lead a delegation to Iran to finalize the contours of a package deal that will cover the development of the Farzad-B gas field, swapping of the gas produced (from Farzad-B) with other Iranian gas at Chabahar port and laying of Iran-India gas pipeline for transportation of the swapped gas to India under a special package contract (SPC) or contracts, a leading English daily Hindustan Times reported here today quoting government sources as said. Officials also disclosed that as against joining the 2,700-km on land gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan, discussions are also on over the possibility of laying an alternate 1,400-km sub-sea deep-water pipeline from Iran to India crossing the sea of Oman. New Delhi is not in favor of joining the on-land gas pipeline project traversing through Pakistan due to security concerns. “We would be happy to mount a delegation to Tehran in the near future on mutually convenient dates that could be firmed up through diplomatic channels,” Moily wrote in his January 8 letter to Zanganeh. “Such a proposal for developing the field (Farzad B) and receiving gas produced for transporting to India (via swap) through pipeline is very exciting for us.” Even though India’s commitment to invest further in Iran’s oil and gas sector comes in the wake of global sanctions being lifted against Tehran, New Delhi, while walking a diplomatic tightrope has continued with its policy of pursuing neutrality and maintained warm ties with the US and given the trusted oil supplier nation status to Tehran./end