Iran Says its Ready to Export Gas to India

A senior Iranian energy official has said that Tehran is ready to negotiate gas export contract with Indian company South Asia Gas Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. (SAGE India), according to state owned Shana News.

Alireza Kameli, managing director of National Iranian Gas Exports Company, said the Indian company has been waiting for Iran's sanctions relief for embarking on gas imports from Iran.

"Ever since Indians stepped out of the IPI gas pipeline projects which was supposed to transport Iran's gas to India through Pakistan, a consortium of several Indian firms governed by SAGE India has expressed willingness to buy gas from Iran," Shana quoted Kameli as saying.

Kameli added that SAGE has repeatedly claimed that an underwater gas pipeline from Iran to India would only take three to four years to be completed. The pipeline would be 1,400 km long.

SAGE is promoted by the New Delhi based Siddho Mal Group, in joint venture with a UK-based Deepwater Technology Company. According to the company website, it is working with a global consortium of some of the most reputed companies in the field of deepwater pipelines, to create a multi billion dollar "energy corridor" that can transport gas from the Middle East to India, bypassing the land route through Pakistan.