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Pipeline schemes WB terms gas imports from Iran, Qatar 'economical'

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The World Bank has rated the gas pipelines from Iran and Qatar as the most economical gas import options for Pakistan.

Among various pipeline schemes, the overland supply from Iran and Qatar has the lowest unit cost, offers lesser political risks, greater security of supply and the possibility of acquiring Turkmenistan gas through swap arrangements with Iran, official sources told Business Recorder.

However, they said, these projects had been still far from start and would take a gestation time of a decade or so. For carrying about 2000 million cubic feet of gas per day, the investment required for these projects was estimated at $ 4-5 billion, whereas an additional $ 3 billion would be needed to augment the national transmission system, they said.

Highlighting the geo-economic and geo-political significance of these projects, the sources said in the years to come, it would be of decisive importance whether an infrastructal linking-up was established in the form of a network between South Asia, South East Asia and Central Asia.

In this connection, Pakistan has to play a key role as railroads, oil, gas and information pipelines to India and to ports of the Arabian Sea, must pass over its territory. "At the same time, this is a big and the only chance of development for Pakistan" they commented.