Indian Oil Corp keen to partner GAIL in Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- Pakistan-India pipeline project.

Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest oil firm, is keen on joining gas utility GAIL India Ltd. for implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline.

IOC wants to be equal partner with GAIL in the US $ 9 billion project with equal rights to sell gas imported from the pipeline, officials said. Billed as 'Peace Pipeline' for the troubled South-Asia region, the US-backed 1,680-km TAPI project is likely to be completed by 2017-18. The four nations have nominated a company each for implementation of the project with GAIL being the Indian representative.

Officials said IOC, in a recent presentation to Oil Secretary Saurabh Chandra, stated that it wants to market half of the gas India will import through the pipeline. Interestingly, Bangladesh has renewed its case for joining TAPI. Dhaka had in May 2012 sent an initial proposal to the TAPI steering committee expressing interest in the project. The panel accepted it and asked for more details.


ET