Kaladan News

Date: Friday, June 11, 2004

India to Export Petroleum to Burma

Chittagong, June11: India soon export diesel and other petroleum products to Burma besides unveiling plans for laying a pipeline to import gas from that country, according to Sakyasen Mittra, Kolkata. 

An official of the petroleum ministry said the process of exporting diesel to Burma from the Numaligarh Refinery in Assam would begin by next month.  

“Initially tankers would be used to take diesel from Numaligarh by road to Burma. We might explore possibilities of laying a pipeline to export diesel at a late stage if it is technically feasible,” the aforesaid ministry said. 

Burma requires about five million tons of diesels every year. 

A factory official from Numaligarh Refinery said, “ Subsequently the factory would also start exporting other petroleum products once the logistics are work out.”  

On the other hand, plans are afoot to wheel back natural gas from Burma with the gas authority of India Ltd (GAIL) conducting feasibility studies. From 4 to 6 trillion cubic feet (TFC) of gas reserves were discovered recently in Arakan coast, Western Burma. 

“ It would be economically cheaper to wheel back gas from Burma for use in India,” the Numalligarh official said.  

Burma Energy Minister Lun Thi had earlier offered Indian oil companies a $116-million refinery revamp contract, a gas field and diesel purchase orders. But the business deal between the two diplomatic roadblocks. ## 

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