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Indo-Iran gas pipeline: India, Pak set time frame
Islamabad: Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has resulted in a timetable coming into place regarding the proposed $4 billion Indo-Iran gas pipeline project.

"I am hopeful with all this in place, the project will be off the ground by the end of the year," said Aiyar.

India and Pakistan have decided to set up a joint working group similar to the one that already exists between India and Iran to work out all aspects of the complicated diplomatic deal.

"The joint working group will look into all relevant legal, commercial, technical and financial issues of the pipeline and all other matters that are relevant. I think it is a comprehensive mandate given to them," said Aiyar.

Both India and Pakistan are set to intensify their engagements and have scheduled three political and three technical level meetings between the June-December period of this year. The Pakistani oil minister is also likely to visit New Delhi by August while Aiyar revisits Islamabad by November.
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BHP Billiton study: Iran-India pipeline is viable and safe
Islamabad: BHP Billiton, the world's largest diversified resources company, has said that there are sufficient features in the pre-feasibility study of the 4.16-billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline to ensure safety.

The BHP report states that the pipeline would be buried to a depth varying between 0.9 metres and 1.5 metres and would use fiber-optic cable sensing systems with a back-up satellite link for monitoring.

According to the report, maintenance units will be located every 150 km with pipe sections ready to install if there is a disruption to the 2600-km pipeline, 760-km of which is to pass through Pakistan. "Any disruption to the pipeline can be rectified within two to three days. The 'line pack' capacity will be about three days which can take care of disruptions as well as the wide fluctuations in Pakistan's gas demand," the report states.

As additional precaution, BHP has recommended that both India and Pakistan build gas storage facilities that could take care of a fortnight's demand.

The 11 to 12 compressor stations will not be underground but would be manned full time.
If one compressor station is disabled, it can be bypassed and supplies maintained at 80 per cent of capacity. The security of the pipeline and compressor stations will be the responsibility of the operator consortium. There is provision against Pakistan disrupting supplies to India.

The point on the pipeline from where Pakistan will offtake the gas will be only 60 km from the Indian border and there will be no valve further down the line till after it enters Indian territory. The study has established that the project, through which India hopes to import up to 90 million standard cubic meters gas per day, is technically and commercially viable.
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Tsunami warning system to be in place by Sept. 2007
Hyderabad: A Rs125-crore Indian initiative for a dual-use early warning system for tsunami and storm surges will start issuing definitive forecasts, along with the likely landfall and inundation they could cause, from September 2007.

Stating this, the Secretary, Union Department of Ocean Development (DoD), Dr Harsh K. Gupta, said that the Indian effort, launched in February, will be completed in 30 months.

It will focus on the two known tsunamigenic zones — Indonesian seismic zone and its extensions, about 40,000 km in length and the Makran source, which can trigger tsunamis that can impact the vast Indian coastline. The Centre for the system will be located in Hyderabad. The Union Government has allocated Rs20 crore for fiscal 2005-06.

Tide gauges, linked through satellite, high frequency radars to study sea surface phenomenon and other key equipment are being put in place. The inclusion of storm surges makes the warning system more practical on two counts — 13 per cent of the world's cyclones are reported from the seas around India and a dedicated tsunami warning could become difficultto maintain, as Tsunamis are a rare phenomenon.
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