Iran offers India equity in gas fields

The offer of equity in South Pars fields is the latest attempt by Tehran to get New Delhi moving on buying its natural gas either by laying a pipeline through Pakistan or in form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Last year it had offered a discovered and a semi-discovered oilfield in lieu of India’s purchase of 5 million tonnes of LNG per annum for 25 years.

Meanwhile, the government is looking at the possibility to build the country’s fourth LNG terminal to receive gas from Myanmar. Speaking at the summit, petroleum secretary B K Chaturvedi said “we are examining the possibility of building the fourth LNG terminal in the country to bring in gas from Myanmar which would depend on the quantum of gas available from that gasfield.”

In fact, the first 5 million tonne capacity Petronet built LNG plant at Dahej in Gujarat would be commissioned on February 9 after the arrival of the first shipment from Qatar. Delivering the inaugural address at the summit, petroleum minister Ram Naik said that “the pipeline charging to Commission the first LNG plant in the country will take place at Dahej on February 9, as shipment of 1.38 standard cubic metres of LNG which has arrived from Qatar gas fields takes time to cool down.” About Rs 7,700 crore have been invested for importing the LNG which includes Rs 2,900 crore for setting up the terminal, Rs 800 crore in the new ship ‘Disha’ and for pipeline expansion from Dahej to Vijaipur, Naik said.