Business Standard: Energy-hungry India in pipeline diplomacy

In comforting news for energy-hungry India, the transnational Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project is turning into a reality with US energy giant Chevron likely to be chosen to construct and run the 1,800 km long pipeline. New Delhi is also seeking to tap hydrocarbons from Russia's vast reserves with a similar pipeline that could link or run parallel to it.

India, which is set to become the third largest energy consumer in the world by 2025 after the US and China, has been trying to firm up gas transmission projects with other countries, including one through Iran and Pakistan and from Myanmar, but none of them have worked out so far due to various constraints.

The TAPI pipeline now looks set to be concretised with Chevron to be selected to lead a consortium to finance and run the pipeline.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his talks with President Vladimir Putin here Monday is expected to seek heightened energy cooperation between the two countries.

India has stakes in the Sakhalin-1 project, off the east coast of Russia and is also scouting for energy in the Tomsk region in Siberia. But whatever oil and gas India gets from the two areas, it has to sell to other buyers, as bringing it to India via ship would be too expensive, said an informed source familiar with the bilateral discussions. The money that comes from sale of the Russian gas and oil is then used for purchasing oil for India, the source added. MORE