Dhaka, Feb 9: India
is exploring the possibility of importing natural gas from Burma
and Thailand
either through an overland or undersea pipeline.
According to The Daily Star on 7th Feb, India's
state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Exploration Corporation has been asked to
conduct a feasibility study of importing the gas it has struck in an offshore
block in Burma
in collaboration with a consortium, which includes South Koreas Daeoo firm.
The study is likely to be ready by June this year, India Petroleum Minister Ram
Naik said at New Delhi
on January 30 after talks with Myanmar Energy Minister.
The proposed import of gas from Burma
r is part of the two countries stepped-up efforts for enhancing cooperation in
the energy sector in the overall context of Bangladesh,
India, Burma,
Sri Lanka Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) ambit, officials say.
Thailand is
also understood to have agreed to study the possibility of a gas pipeline
across BIMSTEC countries and it has received the support of India
whose faster economic growth is increasingly dependent on energy demand. One of
the ways of reducing dependence on imported oil is to switch over to natural
gas and India
is taking several measures to do that.
Thailand, Burma,
Bangladesh and
northeast India
state have substantial reserves of gas, which can cater to Indias growing energy
needs, officials say.