GAIL plans foray into Phillipines

The team from GAIL held meeting with the secretary, department of energy of the Phillipines Vicentes S. Perez Jr. and it was decided that the thrust area of cooperation with GAIL for the year 2004 would include city CNG distribution and CNG in the city of Manila. “GAIL would share the experience of CNG in Mumbai and Delhi with the Phillipines government”, Banerjee said.

Natural gas is available in an offshore block in Batan in the Phillipines. GAIL would participate in a gas pipeline project from Batan to Manila. This project has been christened as Batman 1&2 trunkline. “GAIL is interested in laying, operating and maintaining the pipeline”, Banerjee said.

In the Phillipines, gas blocks would be put up for bids very soon. GAIL is also interested in participating for exploration in these blocks. According to Banerjee, since Shell is already well entrenched in the Phillipines, “GAIL would jointly bid with Shell since there is already a MoU for cooperation between the two companies”.

GAIL would also offer expertise in the gas sector in the Phillipines through the tie up which GAIL Training Institute has with Delta and ISB Hyderabad. The department of energy has also written to GAIL and highlighted these areas where cooperation would be undertaken between the department of energy and GAIL.

GAIL has already participated in an offshore block in Burma and is also in the process of picking up equity in a Shell project in Egypt, Sebi clearance for which has been sought. The Phillipines would be the third foreign venture for GAIL which also has Iran on its mind, Banerjee said.