Director General of National Iranian Gas Export Company Alireza Kameli said the country is ready to sign an agreement with a major Indian company for the export of Iran's natural gas to the Subcontinent.
After India left the IP Gas Pipeline project, a consortium of some Indian companies headed by South Asia Gas Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. (SAGE) expressed willingness to import Iran's natural gas, Kameli told SHANA on Saturday.
He went on to say that the company is waiting for the termination of anti-Iran sanctions to fund the construction of a 3000 km underwater (deep-sea) pipeline.
The history of border conflicts between India and Pakistan made the Indian side opt for using a totally independent pipeline for importing gas from Iran, Kameli added.
For years there has been talk of an India-Iran-Oman energy triangle, whereby an under-sea natural gas pipeline would connect Oman and India. As India's economy grows, demand for gas will continue to exceed supply from domestic sources and imported gas will play an important role in bridging the demand-supply gap in the market.
At first, India was supposed to import gas from Iran via a land pipeline that is to carry gas to Pakistan, but it backed out of the project in 2007, citing security concerns in Pakistani territory. After that, Iran and Pakistan decided to go it alone.