'Iran gas pipeline to be finalized in 2 months'

IranMania.com:

Pakistan will take a final decision about the multi-billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project in two months, a Pakistani Minister said, according to IRNA. READ MORE

"There is a progress on the project and a financial advisor for the project will be appointed in a week," Minister of State for Petroleum, Muhammad Naseer Mengal, told reporters.

Mengal said that the Secretary Petroleum has recently visited India to discuss various issues relating to the project adding that meetings of joint working group have also been held.

"Pakistan has assured Indian government that Pakistan will provide protection to the pipeline in its territory," he said.

Mengal added that Pakistan is also working on TAP (Turkmenistan- Afghanistan-Pakistan) and Qatar-Pakistan gas pipelines.

"We will take a decision on these gaslines in the best interest of the country," the official added.

Replying to a query about gas shortage, he said there is not any shortage of gas to domestic consumers in the country.

"In the peak of winter season, we switched off supply to industrial consumers to compensate the domestic consumers every year," Mengal noted.

Touching upon granting petroleum exploration license to Pakistan Petroleum Limited, he said this is part of the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz policy to make the country self-sufficient in oil and gas production.

The government will continue to grant oil and gas exploration licenses to local and foreign companies, said the official.

Mengal added that a memorandum of understanding was signed between Pakistan and Yemen during the President's recent visit to that country.

Under the MoU, said the official, the Yemeni companies will invest in Pakistan's petroleum sector while the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) will start oil and gas exploration in Yemen.

Mengal added that the OGDCL is also taking interest to start exploration activities in Oman.