Iran denies price claims on IPI

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TEHRAN, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Iranian officials denied Pakistani claims that Iran had reduced the gas transfer price for the planned Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline by 78 percent.

Pakistani media reported the Iranian side had agreed to dramatic reductions in transfer agreements through the planned 1,724-mile pipeline.

Hojatollah Ghanimifard, the Iranian IPI representative, said the reports from Pakistan were false, noting there were no new negotiations on the pipeline since December, the Tehran Times reported Tuesday.

"It was agreed in the Tehran meeting that the two sides would take some time to study the issues and the Pakistani side would announce their final decision by Jan. 29," he said.

Asim Hussain, the top energy adviser to Pakistan, traveled to Tehran in December to consider Iranian proposals on gas custody and pricing mechanisms for IPI. Pricing, security and custody haunt developments on the project.

IPI would stretch from the Iranian South Pars gas field through Pakistan and on to India, with initial capacity estimates approaching 3.8 billion cubic feet per day.