"Iranian FM expected to discuss gas exports"-- re Iran to India pipeline

[TexasLawyer]

from the Daily Star, Lebanon. Natural gas sales might mean yet more huge $$$ for Iran. Also, I don't think gas sales are controlled by OPEC.

Iranian FM expected to discuss gas exports on visit to India
Pipeline projects between the countries will be a focus of talks

By Agence France Presse (AFP)

Monday, February 21, 2005


NEW DELHI: Iran's foreign minister is to begin a three-day visit to India Sunday for talks following New Delhi's decision to launch discussions on securing gas to fuel its energy-hungry economy. Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi will address the India-Iran Joint Business Council Meeting Monday before holding talks with his Indian counterpart Natwar Singh, the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday.

Kharazi will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his three-day stay, the statement said. No details were given about the agenda but analysts expect the import of natural gas to be a key topic of discussion. The Iranian minister's visit comes after the Indian cabinet earlier this month permitted the Oil Ministry to open talks to secure gas supplies and help ease heavy dependence on imported fuel. Iran holds 27.5 trillion cubic meters of gas reserves, ranking second in the world after Russia.

Three possible pipelines to India are being discussed - from Iran through Pakistan, from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan and from Myanmar through Bangladesh. Negotiations on the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline began in 1994 but little headway was made due to tensions between Pakistan and India, which have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.

The prospective pipeline figured in talks Singh had with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Kasuri this week during the first bilateral visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in more than 15 years. Advocates of a pipeline through Pakistan say it would help solidify bilateral ties.

India's burgeoning economy is expected to need 400 million cubic meters of gas per day by 2025, up from 90 million cubic meters at present.


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http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=12822

[gavodotcom]

1. Well, duh. Iran needs friends.

Especially ones with nukes.

[Bhaisahab]

2. Pakistan is set to receive $600 million annually

as transit fees for the iran-india pipeline. apart from the gas itself. its a win-win deal that will greatly enhance security in the region.
meanwhile india is trying to convince china to let the pipeline continue from india to china.
if that happens, i doubt an american invasion in iran is possible...

[VirginiaDem]

3. you're right--it's not part of OPEC--it's bought

and sold in different markets.

As for the geopolitics, China needs the juice almost as much as we do with their population size and their GDP growth rate. This means they need oil stability in the region. In the past, that meant letting the US do what it did because they perceived the US as the regional stabilizer. Now that the US has thoroughly destabilized the region, China may think twice about letting the US do whatever it wants with impunity.

[VirginiaDem]

4. dupe--delete

[cliss]

5. How does the US feel about this?

Have they taken a stand on this?

We know their Neanderthal thug tactics by now, but I haven't read anything one way or another.

[TexasLawyer]

6. I suspect...

I don't know, but I suspect that the US would not be pleased. Off the top of my head:


1. Greater regional interdependence means less chance for a successful "Persian Incursion" (a Daily Show-ism. sorry). Too many area stakeholders will prevent the US and Israel from getting away with it.

2. The US is spoiling for a big fight with Iran, so number 1 above is not acceptable.

3. There's no indication that Halliburton is building the pipeline, so you know it won't get built.

4. All that extra natural gas money (pure gravy, since the Iranians might be just flaring most of that gas right now) will be pouring in to Iran on top of all of Iran's oil money, making the ayatollahs richer and further entrenching their power over Iranians, and their power to resist attack.

5. China might start getting the natural gas, and we're trying to beat them out of all the resources they've been snapping up over the last two years in their buying spree.

[Supersedeas]

7. Condiliar is requesting industry input to determine US policy