Iran-Oman-India (IOI) under sea gas pipeline

[SHASH2K2]

DUBAI, September 20 (RIA Novosti) - India and Oman are in talks to build a deepwater gas transportation system to pump gas from Turkmenistan, Iran and Qatar, bypassing troubled regions in Central and South Asia, the Times of Oman said on Monday.

The pipeline, with an estimated cost of $4 billion, is expected to pump 31.1 billion cubic meters of gas per day.

"We are trying to create an energy corridor. It is a grand scheme of several pipelines. It will connect energy producing countries like Iran, Turkmenistan, Qatar, and will pass through the UAE and Oman, all the way to India," SAGE head Subodh Kumar Jain said during his brief visit to Oman's capital Muscat.

South Asia Gas Enterprise Pvt Ltd (SAGE), a joint venture of Oman's Siddhomal group, U.K.-based Deep Water Technology and India, was established to build a 2,000-km deepwater pipeline to connect India and Iran.

The pipeline to bring Iranian gas to India was initially designed to go by land via Pakistan and Afghanistan, but the project was largely abandoned amid continuing instability in the area.

Jain said the transit states, such as the U.A.E. and Oman, will also be able to receive gas supplies via the pipeline.

"Apart from India, it will benefit countries in the Gulf region. It can feed Oman and the UAE. It will also benefit gas producing countries like Turkmenistan, Iran and Qatar. These are countries with huge natural gas reserves," he said. "Oman needs more gas to feed its gas-based industries and power plants."

SAGE is now negotiating gas supplies from Turkmenistan, Iran and Qatar.

"That is the biggest challenge. Besides this, there are a lot of geopolitical and security issues involved," Jain said, expressing hope that all the problems will be resolved next year.

As soon as gas supplies are ensured, the pipeline project will be completed within five years.

India is facing natural gas shortages as its own reserves are expected to run out by 2012. It currently buys around 26 million of standard cubic meters of liquefied natural gas per day.
India, Oman mull sub-sea pipeline to pump Turkmen and Iranian gas | World | RIA Novosti

 

[SHASH2K2]

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Have other nations been succefsul with undersea pipelines?? Sounds like a very expensive project.

 

[SHASH2K2]

Have other nations been succefsul with undersea pipelines?? Sounds like a very expensive project.

Its expensive but Safer as it wont be going through Pakistan. We will be in better position to defend it .

 

[LETHALFORCE]

The North sea pipeline is in a much more stable part of the world, but anyway the pipeline seems to run deep thru international waters.

 

[p2prada]

Have other nations been succefsul with undersea pipelines?? Sounds like a very expensive project.

There are thousands of kilometres of undersea pipelines in the world. The first one was in 1872 I guess.

 

[SHASH2K2]

Oman to India Pipeline Route Survey

 

[gogbot]

I see three nations on that map that would rather have that pipeline exist then not.
And that region is practically at the Indian Navy's doorstep

 

[LETHALFORCE]

I see three nations on that map that would rather have that pipeline exist then not.
And that region is practically at the Indian Navy's doorstep

This is thousands of Kilometers but we already have undersea internet/phone cables thru these waters, it is not a question of can it be done?? but more of a security issue, will the cost of the pipeline be shared by all 3 nations??

 

[Agantrope]

Indeed a good move by the government for securing the gas and oil interest

 

[LETHALFORCE]

one of the reasons for the Afghan war, to build land pipeline to India may have failed?? USA may pullout of afghanistan soon??

 

[SHASH2K2]

This is thousands of Kilometers but we already have undersea internet/phone cables thru these waters, it is not a question of can it be done?? but more of a security issue, will the cost of the pipeline be shared by all 3 nations??

Even if cost is not shared by all this pipeline has capability to connect India to entire Gulf and Iran. Even Russian gas can be linked to this pipeline though Afghanistan and Iran route. If we pull it through it will be a big achievement for us.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Even if cost is not shared by all this pipeline has capability to connect India to entire Gulf and Iran. Even Russian gas can be linked to this pipeline though Afghanistan and Iran route. If we pull it through it will be a big achievement for us.

I agree this is will be a big achievement, it also keeps us away from the US-PAK alliance in our energy security and in many ways makes the Afghan oil wars a failure.

 

[SHASH2K2]

India considering deepwater gas pipeline from Oman: Report
DUABI: India is actively considering building a 2,000-km-long deepwater transnational gas pipeline from Oman for transporting natural gas sourced from Turkmenistan, Iran and Qatar, a leading industry official has said.

The proposed sub-sea pipeline will meet the additional gas requirement of the UAE, Oman and India, besides easing gas transportation issues of producing countries like Turkmenistan, Iran and Qatar, Subodh Kumar Jain, Director of South Asia Gas Enterprise (SAGE), told Times of Oman.

SAGE, a joint venture between the Siddhomal group, UK-based Deep Water Technology and an Indian firm, is a special project vehicle for building the 2000-km long-sub-sea pipeline.

"We are trying to create an energy corridor. It is a grand scheme of several pipelines. It will connect energy producing countries like Iran, Turkmenistan, Qatar, and will pass through the UAE and Oman, all the way to India," Jain told the newspaper.

As per the plan, the pipeline will originate from Oman and will end either in Gujarat or Maharashtra.

For the gas to be routed to Oman from Qatar, Iran and Turkmenistan, additional pipelines will be needed.

Gas sourced through this will carry an additional transportation tariff, which will accrue to SAGE.

India imports around 26mscmd of LNG. The country is short on natural gas. It needs around 180mscmd, while the supply is 106mscmd.

Jain said the main sub-sea pipeline between Oman and India will cost between $3 to 4 billion.

"We are now discussing with Iran, Turkmenistan and Qatar for sourcing gas for the proposed pipeline. That is the biggest challenge. Besides, there are a lot of geopolitical and security issues involved," Jain said.

After ensuring gas, it will take five years to completed the project. The pipeline will be designed and built by an international consortium.

Demand for gas in India will continue to exceed supply from domestic sources and imported gas will play an important role in bridging the demand-supply gap in the Indian market.

 

[thakur_ritesh]

Jain said the main sub-sea pipeline between Oman and India will cost between $3 to 4 billion.

how is it that this sub-sea pipeline will cost 3-4b usd and the one that was supposed to be land routed through pakistan from iran, the ipi, would have cost 7.1b usd? i guess even the distance covered by this pipeline will be more than the ipi.

 

[Tshering22]

This is the best news I've heard about following the pipeline news. Oman is a reliable friend of India in the middle east and this opportunity must not be lost. We've even had military drills with them so the issue of trust is unquestioned. Turkmenistan is very rich in gas and so is Iran. And since unlike UAE-Iran issue Oman has none with them, I think this pipeline even if expensive, should be given the green signal because any expense is cheaper than the expense of dealing with Pakistan.... something we are learning it the hard way when we didn't utilize 93,000 POW + Lahore bargain for Stolen Kashmir from Pakistan in 71.

Iranians and Turkmen are going to be more than happy to agree even to share the cost because they get a hefty slice of a HUGE market in India which has a really good future. Besides, Turkmenistan as a former Soviet state has good ties with us and is politically easy to maneuver there. It is a win-win situation for all the countries involved. An the biggest victory is that we don't need to be blackmailed by Pakistan for every second thing.

I wish the IPI project becomes IOI with Oman in the center as a separate deal to IPI issue. Having high initial cost and then NO aftermath costs is better than cheap cost and later spending billions on securing the gas/oil supply later at the hands of an enemy nation.

If Nehru had not been an optimistic fool in 1947-48 war and retaken Kashmir, we could have had complete access to central Asia with pipelines coming in from Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan directly through Badaghshan strip straight into India's hearland via J&K.

 

[SHASH2K2]

how is it that this sub-sea pipeline will cost 3-4b usd and the one that was supposed to be land routed through pakistan from iran, the ipi, would have cost 7.1b usd? i guess even the distance covered by this pipeline will be more than the ipi.

May be we donot have any Gunda tax of Pakistan involved in this pipeline. Also there wont be any annual transit fee involved on year basis .

 

[The Messiah]

This is the best news I've heard about following the pipeline news. Oman is a reliable friend of India in the middle east and this opportunity must not be lost. We've even had military drills with them so the issue of trust is unquestioned. Turkmenistan is very rich in gas and so is Iran. And since unlike UAE-Iran issue Oman has none with them, I think this pipeline even if expensive, should be given the green signal because any expense is cheaper than the expense of dealing with Pakistan.... something we are learning it the hard way when we didn't utilize 93,000 POW + Lahore bargain for Stolen Kashmir from Pakistan in 71.

Iranians and Turkmen are going to be more than happy to agree even to share the cost because they get a hefty slice of a HUGE market in India which has a really good future. Besides, Turkmenistan as a former Soviet state has good ties with us and is politically easy to maneuver there. It is a win-win situation for all the countries involved. An the biggest victory is that we don't need to be blackmailed by Pakistan for every second thing.

I wish the IPI project becomes IOI with Oman in the center as a separate deal to IPI issue. Having high initial cost and then NO aftermath costs is better than cheap cost and later spending billions on securing the gas/oil supply later at the hands of an enemy nation.

If Nehru had not been an optimistic fool in 1947-48 war and retaken Kashmir, we could have had complete access to central Asia with pipelines coming in from Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan directly through Badaghshan strip straight into India's hearland via J&K.

Agreed on all points.

 

[ganesh177]

Good move, and best i have heard so far, but too much of talks we need to pull out one soon. It will take years to build.

 

[plugwater]

^^^Langeled Pipeline (Longest undersea pipeline) was constructed in the pace of 5 km/1 day using two largest pipe laying vessels. There are lot of things(Current flow, depth, pressure, climate etc) needs consideration regarding construction of pipeline. Laying of pipes may take only 2 or 3 years with proper planning and execution. Construction of pipes should be well planned so that there shouldn't be any shortage of pipes during pipe laying like this there are many things needs careful planning. With proper planning and execution we can finish this project in next five years and also within the allocated budget.