A subcommittee of the ECC decided that the route of the pipeline would mainly run through the state of Balochistan, in Pakistan.

Pakistan Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources told local media that only local companies would be involved in the project.

“No international consultancy will be hired for the project,” he said, adding that foreign companies would only be consulted in areas including procurement of machinery, plants and preparation of bankable documents.

Iran and Pakistan signed a gas sales purchase agreement in May 2009 in order for the project, which includes construction of a 2,670 km long $US3.2 billion onshore gas pipeline from the Assaluyen gas field in southern Iran to GAIL’s Hazira – Vijaipur – Jagdishpur Pipeline in Gujarat, India.

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The pipeline is expected to deliver 60 MMcm/d of gas.