Russian Gazprom eyes IPI gas project

SAKHALIN (Russia)—Russian gas giant Gazprom, world’s largest gas firm, is keen to participate in the construction of the 7.4 billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline that would bring gas from the gigantic South Pars fields in Iran to the two South Asian countries.”We are keen on participating in the Iran-India pipeline project,” Russia’s Minister of Industry and Energy Viktor Borisovich Khristenko said here Friday.
Khristenko, who arrived here to witness along with Indian Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar the maiden oil and gas production from Sakhalin-I fields today (Saturday), favoured enhancing partnerships in the energy sector. The Russian energy giant has previously held talks with authorities in Iran and India to become involved in the consortium which would also include Indian Oil Corp and Gail (India) Ltd to lay the over 2,100-km long gas pipeline. Gazprom, along with TotalFinaelf of France and Malaysian Petronas, is the major shareholder of Iranian South Pars field, from where Iran would supply gas to Pakistan and India. A Gazprom delegation, headed by its chairman Alexey Miller, is expected to visit Pakistan early October to begin talks with senior Pakistani officials for leading a consortium for the construction of the pipeline.—Online