India offers to extend gas pipeline to China
Press Trust of India
New Delhi, April 11, 2005
India on Monday proposed to extend Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline to China and sought greater collaboration between Indian and Chinese oil majors to build energy security for two of the world's most populous and energy-thirsty nations.
"There has been no separate detailed consideration of energy cooperation between India and China (but) in my interactions with Chinese officials (on sidelines of summit meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao) I raised the issue of extending Iran-India gas pipeline to south China via Myanmar," Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said.
India is pursuing gas imports from Iran through an onland pipeline passing through Pakistan.
The 2600-km pipeline, which would land in Rajasthan, is proposed to travel through the heart of India and into Myanmar via Bangladesh and than travel to China.
Supply disruption to India, by Pakistan or terrorist organisations, would than mean the fuel supplies are also cut to China and therefore such an arrangement would guarantee greater stability to the project.
Aiyar said India and China can also collaborate in their quest for oil and gas fields abroad.
"While market will dictate competition (between the two nations) on projects, there is also a possibility that we collaborate in certain places."
"We have the option to compete or collaborate with one another to secure better deals," Aiyar said in an apparent reference to competing bids for overseas upstream blocks by Indian and Chinese oil majors.
© HT Media Ltd. 2005.