Aiyar moots pan-Asian gas grid

In a subtle hint to China to conceptualise the pan-Asian gas grid, Aiyar indicated that the proposed Indo-Iran gas pipeline, through Pakistan, can be extended till upper Burma and Southern China to allow China access Iran gas.

He said the proposed ‘‘Indo-Iran gas pipeline can be pulled through UP, Rajasthan, Bihar, Bengal to upper Burma to link the Iranian gas to the South China consumption.’’

This is a win-win situation for all as countries get a transit fee and China gets to access the gas at a cheaper rate compared with LNG transport through ships, he added.

Dwelling on the possibilities of linking the Caspian gas to Lebanon and Egypt through a series of pipelines connecting to the Blue Stream project, Aiyar said most of the Asian countries who are the biggest buyers like Japan, Korea, China and India, are all flush with foreign exchange which can be used for this purpose.

‘‘The Pan-Asian approach to gas is the solution and dialogue should begin on this front,’’ Aiyar said, while adding that a beginning on linking Asia in crude oil has begun after the ‘mini-OPEC’ meet held in Delhi in January.

Calling for delinking gas sector from oil as opposed to the 1980s, the petroleum minister pitched in strongly for the three proposed pipeline — Indo-Iran, Indo-Myanmar and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan pipeline. He added that there cannot be any energy security without these pipelines.

Iran welcomes Indian firms in developing South Pars field

: Iran is open to partnering Indian oil firms in development of offshore gas field in southern Iran which will export gas to India through an onland pipeline passing through Pakistan. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the gas summit, National Iranian Gas Export Company Chairman M. H. Rahbari said ‘‘we very much welcome Indian companies to participate in the development’’ of one of the phases of gigantic South Pars gas field. Rahbari, who will hold discussions with Indian side on the technical aspects of LNG supplies and piped gas exports, said the $4.5 billion pipeline, 760-km of which would pass through Pakistan, was likely to come up in five years’ time.