Analysis: Oil and Gas Pipeline Watch

EU Energy chief eyes Iran supplies for Nabucco

Andris Piebalgs, the European Union's commissioner for energy, said Nabucco has nothing to do with Russia's plans for South Stream.

"It is our desire and also our action to get gas from Azerbaijan, from Turkmenistan, from Iraq, from Egypt and in this way giving them new suppliers to the European market," he told the weekly New Europe.

Nabucco, which has heavy U.S. backing, is a proposed 2,000-plus mile pipeline to send 31 billion cubic meters of gas from Turkey to Austria by 2012 or 2013.

South Stream, backed by Gazprom and Italy's Eni, would transit 10 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas per year through Serbia to the Balkans and on to Europe.

Europe is looking to increase the number of suppliers and transport routes for its gas.

Piebalgs said Turkmenistan has "promised gas to everybody" and noted there's no official number for reserves but Russia and China both have a presence there.

Two major sources of potential gas for Europe are Iran and Iraq. While the latter is developing, albeit slow during the ongoing war, Piebalgs said before Iranian gas enters the pipeline the nuclear question needs to be answered.

"I see Nabucco being fed by Iran," he said, "but I also see that it could be achieved only after the solutions being found for the enrichment facilities in Iran."

He said there were "no relations with Iran" because of the allegations Tehran's nuclear program is not only for peaceful energy, but aimed at creating weapons.

In Iraq, with a sizeable and underdeveloped gas sector, the EU is working with Baghdad to develop the Akkas gas field on the border with Syria. A pipeline from it will feed not only Syrian demand, but link to the Arab Gas Pipeline, which is intended to connect to Turkey and feed a network into Europe.

India, Pakistan, Iranian talks on gas pipeline resume in two weeks

India's oil minister has confirmed he'll be in Islamabad April 23 to restart negotiations on a pipeline to send Iranian gas to Pakistan and India.

"I have been invited by the Pakistani energy minister to go to that country," Murli Deora said, The Times of India reports. "We will discuss various matters stalling the project."

The main sticking point is differing opinions on a transit fee India would pay Pakistan.

A previous meeting in February was canceled and India had said it wouldn't rejoin talks until after Pakistan's recent elections following turmoil in the country and the assassination of a major opposition leader.

"The project is on. We don't see many differences," Deora said. "There are some pricing and access issues, which we need to discuss."

The so-called peace pipeline would cost $7.5 billion and run 1,700 miles. It would send 3.2 billion cubic feet of Iranian natural gas to Pakistan and 2.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas to India each day by 2011.

Iran and Pakistan have reached an agreement and the National Iranian Gas Co. has nearly completed its part of the line, the Fars News Agency reports.

India keen on undersea gas pipeline from Oman

India is looking to keep up with domestic energy demand by revisiting the once-shelved sub Arabian Sea project.

The pipeline would link Ras Al Jifan in Oman to India's Gujarat state, Business Intelligence Middle East reports.

The South Asia Gas Enterprise engineering and construction firm estimates the project would cost between $2.1 billion to $3.4 billion.

SAGE has reportedly been holding "high level" meetings with state and private companies in India, according to various Indian media.

--

(e-mail: energy@upi.com)