Khaqan for early completion of North-South gas pipeline

Minister for Petroleum and Natural Reso-urces Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Friday underlined the need for early completion of the North-South gas pipeline project to meet growing energy demand of power generating plants and fertiliser units. "The government wants to start construction work on the North-South pipeline immediately so that its first phase can complete by December 2017," he said in a meeting with Russian delegation.
The delegation led by Co-chairman of the Pakistan-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation Victor P. Ivanov called on Petroleum Minister Khaqan Abbasi here. Senior officials of the ministry were also present on the occasion.
Under the project, a Russian company - Rostec - will construct a 1,100- kilometer pipeline, having capacity of 12.4 bcm gas flow per annum, to connect liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals located in Karachi with those of Lahore. Khaqan Abbasi highlighted the government priorities and country''s needs to complete all energy projects timely, saying that it would appreciate Russia to fulfil its commitment to the project. "The pipeline has great significance for Pakistan to further strengthen its national economy and meeting the energy needs," he said. IGC Co-chairman Victor P. Ivanov apprised the minister about Russia''s expertise in developing energy infrastructure as well as in oil and gas sector. He offered Pakistan to supply LNG to bridge increasing gap between demand and supply of gas in the country.
He said that the Russian company constructing the pipeline would be directed to start work within two months. The Director General of Tatneft Petroleum Company, one of Russia''s biggest oil producing companies based in Tatarstan province, extended cooperation in exploration and production of oil and gas. In Tatarstan province, he said, about 50 to 60 universities were producing petroleum experts and there was a possibility to initiate students exchange program between the two countries. He invited Khaqan Abbasi to visit the project sites and inspect oil and gas facilities operating there.
Khaqan Abbasi thanked the DG Tatneft and accepted the invitation to visit the province as early as possible. He said Pakistan would look into Russian offer to supply LNG, adding that the government''s foremost priority was to complete construction of the pipeline.-PR