NEW DELHI, April 28 (UPI) -- Participating in a multilateral natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan depends on how much Ashgabat charges for its gas, an Indian energy official said.
New Delhi is hosting multilateral talks for the Western-backed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline.
The project is seen as an alternative to Iran's plans to deliver natural gas to Pakistan and India from its giant South Pars complex in the Persian Gulf.
An Indian official in the country's energy ministry told the Economic Times of India on condition of anonymity that New Delhi was unlikely to join the project if natural gas deliveries are more costly than importing liquefied natural gas.
"Why invest in infrastructure if we can import relatively cheaper LNG?" the official asked.
Officials aren't expecting major breakthroughs during the TAPI talks in New Delhi. A natural gas sale and purchase agreement for the planned TAPI pipeline won't be ready until July.
