16:40 | 2010-03-02
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran and Pakistan are slated to sign a final agreement to launch implementation of a project for exporting Iran's rich gas reserves to the energy-hungry south-Asian nation through a long-waited multi-billion-dollar pipeline, a senior Iranian oil official announced on Tuesday.
"The text for the implementation of gas exports to Pakistan through the Peace Pipeline (Iran-Pakistan pipeline) will be signed on March 9-10," Iran's special envoy to the pipeline talks Hojjatollah Ghanimifard said in an interview with FNA.
"Once so, the ground is prepared for the export of gas Pakistan and India," Ghanimifard, who is also deputy head of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for Investment, added.
He said that the agreement will be the last annexation to the deal signed between the two countries in Istanbul, Turkey in May, 2009.
The official further expressed the hope that the new move would pave the way for exports of natural gas to Pakistan by 2014.
The 2700-kilometer long pipeline was to supply gas for Pakistan and India which are suffering a lack of energy sources, but India has evaded talks. Last year Iran and Pakistan declared they would finalize the agreement bilaterally if India continued to be absent in meetings.
In a major breakthrough on March 20, the Pakistani government approved Iran's proposed pricing formula for gas supplies to the South Asian nation.
According to the project proposal, the pipeline will begin from Iran's Assalouyeh Energy Zone in the south and stretch over 1,100 km through Iran. In Pakistan, it will pass through Baluchistan and Sindh but officials now say the route may be changed if China agrees to the project.
The gas will be supplied from the South Pars field. The initial capacity of the pipeline will be 22 billion cubic meters of natural gas per annum, which is expected to be later raised to 55 billion cubic meters. It is expected to cost $7.4 billion.
Source: http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8812111470
Comments
Post a Comment