http://www.dawn.com/2006/02/13/top8.htm


Pipeline talks: team leaves today for Turkmenistan




By Our Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Feb 12: An official team leaves for Turkmenistan on Monday to finalise $2.5 billion deal for proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) pipeline project, officials said.

In their two-day talks, the delegation will review the developments on TAP and push their counterparts to expedite the 1800 km pipeline which will transmit gas from Daulatabad to Pakistan.

The delegation wiil be headed by Amanullah Jadoon, Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources. Earlier the delegation was scheduled to leave on Sunday, but later the programme was delayed. The team will reach Ashkabad on Tuesday.

The team comprise Prime Minister’s Adviser on Energy Mukhtar Ahmed, Secretary Petroleum Ahmed Waqar, Joint Secretary Development Jahangir Khan and Managing Director Interstate Gas Company Hassan Nawab.

Energy experts have warned Pakistan of gas shortage by 2010 and President Gen Pervez Musharraf has directed the concerned officials to speed up efforts to secure energy for country’s growing industry to sustain the ongoing ratio of economic development.

After the two-day talks in Ashkabad, the delegation will arrive in New Delhi and would hold talks with Indian Oil Minister Murli Deora.

The officials will asses Indian minister’s approach towards the mega TAP project and submit a report to the prime minister.

Officials told Dawn that the two countries would also hold talks on multi-billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project and its feasibility on the face of the US resistance to the project.

“Pakistan is facing US opposition on the proposed IPI project, therefore, we have suggested to speed up some other options”, an official in the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Resources said.

The other options despite being very costly are deemed as safe and included pipelines from Qatar and Turkmenistan, he added.

During his recent talks with Iranian Deputy Petroleum Minister Najeed Hosseinian, Mr Jadoon had said that IPI pipeline project would promote regional cooperation and would open up new avenues of interaction for the mutual advantages.

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html


Turkmenistan to supply 3.2 bcf gas per day to Pakistan

By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Turkmenistan will supply 3.2 billion cubic feet gas per day to Pakistan for a period of 30 years. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on Wednesday at the conclusion of a two-day ministerial meeting of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) in Ashgabat.

India, which participated in the meeting as an observer, expressed its willingness to join the TAP, said an official statement issued here Thursday. The Turkmenistan Minister for Oil and Gas Gurbanmurat Atayev, Pakistan Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Khan Jadoon, and Minister for Mines and Industries of Afghanistan Mir Mohammad Sidique represented their countries at the meeting. India’s Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dinsha J Patel also attended the meeting as an observer while Dan Millison, Energy Specialist, represented the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The two-day meeting deliberated upon the key issues of gas availability, security, route, pipeline structure, gas pricing and financial aspects of the project. The meeting expressed satisfaction over the pace of progress on the project and agreed to adopt strategy to implement the project as early as possible for the benefit of the member states and the region as well.

The meeting considered the feasibility report presented by the ADB. It was agreed to hold a technical experts meeting followed by TAP Ministerial meeting in Islamabad in April for finalizing the gas pricing agreement.

While commenting on the deliberation, Mr said that this project would not only open up avenues of cooperation in the oil and gas sector between the member states but also help bring the people of regional countries closer.

Amanullah Khan Jadoon has left for New Delhi from Ashgabad on a two-day visit on the invitation of his Indian counterpart Murli Deora. He is leading a delegation comprising Secretary Petroleum and Natural Resources Ahmad Waqar, Prime Minister’s Advisor on Energy Mukhtar Ahmed, and Managing Director Interstate Gas System Company Hassan Nawab to discuss Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.

Pakistan will face gas shortfall after 2010 and working on import of gas from Iran, Turkmenistan and Qatar besides LNG fuel to meet the growing energy needs of the country linked with the unprecedented upward trend in economic growth.