(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Describing Oman as India's 'most trusted partner in the Gulf', the Indian media on Saturday highlighted the possibility of reviving a deep sea gas pipeline project connecting an energy-starved India to Oman and Iran.
The reports emerged even as India's Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid met H E Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif separately on Friday. Alawi and Zarif were in New Delhi on separate official visits.
''The new plan proposes to transport oil and natural gas through deep sea pipelines via Oman in a process where [energy from] Iran, and even Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan... can feed the pipeline for an ever-growing Indian market,'' The Times of India reported.
The newspaper reported that Khurshid discussed the issue separately with Alawi and Zarif who he met later in the day.
According to the business daily, Mint, 'gas will be transported from Iran to Oman and then onwards to India'.
Citing sources, Mint reported, ''All this will, of course, need careful study. What happened today was an expression of willingness to try and explore the possibility of such a pipeline that was proposed and then given up in the 1990s.'' The daily noted that India imports 'almost 80 per cent' of its energy requirements.
The Times of India quoted an expert in this field as saying, "An undersea pipeline from Iran to India could be completed as quickly as 3-4 years. Our feasibility studies show it would cost in the region of US$5bn."
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