Pakistan Needs Iranian Gas

A senior Pakistani Petroleum Ministry official called for early completion of the Iranian gas pipeline and said that delay would further complicate Pakistan’s energy crisis.

Secretary ministry of petroleum and natural resources, Muhammad Ejaz Chuadhry said Iran-Pakistan project would start supply from 2014 adding that if it got late then gas crisis in the country would be worsened, IRNA reported.

“Gas from Pakistan-Iran gas pipelines could be used for power generations, Industries and fertilizers“, the chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources, Talib Hassan Nakai said.

Pakistan faces acute gas shortage and the government on Thursday announced a gas load-management schedule, under which gas supply would remain suspended for three days in a week for industries.

Petroleum Minster Dr Asim Hussain said the country is facing gas shortage and has no option but to stop supply to the industries to ensure smooth flow to the consumers.

Ejaz Chuadhry told that government has two options to meet the country’s growing energy needs; either to import or explore new hydrocarbon resources to ensure availability of electricity and gas in the country.

It’s worth mentioning that, Pakistan and Iran had finalized the gas pipeline projects last year, under which Iran will start supplying natural gas to Pakistan from 2014. Under the deal, Pakistan will import 750 million cubic meters of gas from Iran per day for 25 years, according to officials.

On Wednesday Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, was informed that 1100 km of gas pipeline on the Iranian side has been completed.

Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources, Dr Asim Hussain, told that the progress on the IP Gas Pipeline Project on the Pakistani side, which started on May 9, is quite satisfactory.

[mappress]

Source: NIGC, July 3, 2011;