Pakistan needs new gas pipeline to meet energy needs
Mon, 17 March 2003
PAKISTAN NEEDS to finalize at least one of three proposed natural gas pipeline projects by the end of the year to meet soaring demand, a leading industry executive said in February.
“We hope that, by the end of 2003, one of three gas pipeline projects is finalized,” said Munawar Baseer Ahmad, managing director of the state-run Sui Southern Gas Co. “If construction doesn’t start by 2006, we won’t get the gas on time when we need it in 2009-10,” he said in an interview.
One of the projects under discussion would carry natural gas from Iran to Pakistan and India. The others are a Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline, and a subsea pipeline from Qatar to Pakistan. Pakistan now produces about 70MMcum of gas a day, but demand is currently at around 96MMcm/d; imported fuel oil makes up most of the energy shortfall.
Pakistan's import bill for crude oil and petroleum products reached US$2.8 billion in the year to 30 June, 2002, and is expected to be higher this year because of rapidly-rising oil prices and higher domestic demand.