Import LNG from Qatar via India

Pakistan is considering importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar via India, which will receive the gas at its terminal and supply through a planned pipeline from its territory to Pakistan’s border. “A proposal was under consideration for import of LNG through a terminal in India,” Secretary Petroleum Dr Waqar Masood said on Thursday. The government was also planning to import LNG directly from India through a pipeline, which India would lay over 60 km to Wagah border, he said. The LNG import from Qatar is separate from this programme. “Officials of Pakistan and India will hold negotiations on the possibility of LNG trade between them here on Thursday,” said a senior official of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources. An Indian team was to reach Islamabad on Thursday night to discuss LNG trade, its prices and mode of transportation. India has offered supply of 200 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of LNG for a period of five years. According to sources, India has planned to expand its pipeline network for LNG supply across the border. It has already laid a 100km pipeline for transport of LNG to Bhatinda, from where the pipeline will be extended to Pakistan?s Wagah border. Indian LNG trading company Petronet Private Limited (PPL) has an LNG receiving and re-gasification terminal at Dahej, Gujarat with original handling capacity of 5million tons per annum (mtpa). Later, the capacity was expanded to 10 mtpa. The terminal meets around 20 per cent gas demand of India. PPL has sourced 7.5 mtpa of LNG through a long-term contract with RasGas, Qatar with back-to-back sales arrangement with GAIL India, Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation.   From gulftoday