Iran invites Bangladesh to join cross-border gas grid

[Tshering22]

We are facing hardship anyways.. And once IPI project in place India will always try to avoid war.. does'nt it?

We've always tried to avoid war but somehow war always comes searching for us.. I still think that it would be good if we can somehow by-pass Pakistani territory and make it through ocean floor into India and then into Bangladesh. I-I-B as a separate line.

The last thing we all would want is to be in trouble because of lawlessness and sensitivity of one country. Even if it a bit expensive, we Indians should bypass Pakistan somehow. Because future is not predictable and if at all goodness forbid a minor conflict comes, 4 countries would lose because of 1.

 

[idune]

This could be a good source for Bangladesh but will not happen in forseeable future for may reasons.

First one being US opposition to buying from Iran.

Second, indian (with US pressure) has not been commited in its participation.

Third even if india participate getting the pipeline to West Bengal is far cry and extend to Bangladesh is almost impossible. As Indian will not let that happen.

In 90's Iran offered to build oil refinery in Bangladesh and was ready to finance $1 billion but that proposal was shut down because of US pressue. This proposal in current reality will shut down even more quickly.

 

[Jade]

According to the news, kolkata was supposed to be the end point....if BD enters, probably the line will be extended to where we want the gas to be delivered....my guess, it will be north east BD....


Cheers!!!

That's a great idea.

 

[Jade]

This could be a good source for Bangladesh but will not happen in forseeable future for may reasons.

First one being US opposition to buying from Iran.

Second, indian (with US pressure) has not been commited in its participation.

Third even if india participate getting the pipeline to West Bengal is far cry and extend to Bangladesh is almost impossible. As Indian will not let that happen.

In 90's Iran offered to build oil refinery in Bangladesh and was ready to finance $1 billion but that proposal was shut down because of US pressue. This proposal in current reality will shut down even more quickly.

You are overestimating the influence of US on India. It is not the US pressure but the idea of pipeline passing Pakistan that is stopping India to commit itself.

I don’t see any reasons why India will not extend the pipeline to BD, if at all the pipeline materializes, after all if gas has to reach NE, it has pass through BD. So mutually beneficial arrangement

 

[Iggy]

@Idune why should India let it not happen??you are paying us handsome amount for it if this is happening as charges ..do you think we will let off that opportunity??

 

[Tshering22]

This could be a good source for Bangladesh but will not happen in forseeable future for may reasons.

First one being US opposition to buying from Iran.

Second, indian (with US pressure) has not been commited in its participation.

Third even if india participate getting the pipeline to West Bengal is far cry and extend to Bangladesh is almost impossible. As Indian will not let that happen.

In 90's Iran offered to build oil refinery in Bangladesh and was ready to finance $1 billion but that proposal was shut down because of US pressue. This proposal in current reality will shut down even more quickly.

Chill dude, US pressure on us is not so overt and so prominent as you think. We have a population almost 4 times USA's so naturally we need a lot of power just to meet our daily needs which nuclear plants won't be able to satisfy alone.

Natural gas is the answer. The simple reason why we're backing out is not because its Iran but rather its passage through Pakistan. If your government can come to an agreement of bypassing the supply lanes through sea or something, that'd be cool enough for us to have the I-I-B pipeline. We still get 3 countries in the deal with zero risks.

 

[TopCat]

Cost would be enormous for a undersea pipeline. What would be the price that the counsumer of India or BD will be willing to pay? LNG might beat the whole project.

 

[TopCat]

@Idune why should India let it not happen??you are paying us handsome amount for it if this is happening as charges ..do you think we will let off that opportunity??

Yes.. but gas pipeline tariffs are minimal what India offered to BD for Myanmar India pipeline. May be 150 mln a year for IPIB pipeline.

 

[eastwatch]

Natural gas is the answer. The simple reason why we're backing out is not because its Iran but rather its passage through Pakistan. If your government can come to an agreement of bypassing the supply lanes through sea or something, that'd be cool enough for us to have the I-I-B pipeline. We still get 3 countries in the deal with zero risks.

Pakistan cannot enrage Iran by childishly stopping flow of gas to India under any circumstances. Then, of course, there may be a problem due to terrorist attack. But, India itself has this problem. BD has to consider that such a terrorist attack may occur both in India and Pakistan. The route is not that safe, anyway.

 

[deckingraj]

It won't be a small percentage, Industry depends on energy and there's a severe energy crisis in North India and that's why it's the least industrialized zone in India.

Are you sure about it???? North India is least industrialized because of energy crisis??? For example Punjab,Haryana,UP are agriculture hub...In other words more emphasis are on agriculture rather then industry.....Having said that these states are doing great when comes to pharma sector.....And i completely agree with the notion that this pipeline will be meager percentage of our energy needs....The beauty of this deal is that it will reduce the cost to a larger extent and that's why New Delhi is after it...Had relations with PAK good this deal would have fructified by now...but saying that North INdia is doomed without this deal would be a big overstatement...

 

[deckingraj]

Pakistan cannot enrage Iran by childishly stopping flow of gas to India under any circumstances. Then, of course, there may be a problem due to terrorist attack. But, India itself has this problem. BD has to consider that such a terrorist attack may occur both in India and Pakistan. The route is not that safe, anyway.

I would say think about it in context to a future war(God forbids)....The very first role Indian Navy would like to perform is sea bloackade...Now why on this earth would Pakistan not reciprocate by choking this pipeline???

That is the reason India is pushing Iran to be accountable for supply lines on Indian Border instead of Pakistan....This way Iran would be a direct looser if Pakistan choose to disrupt the pipeline...In present proposed scenario Iran accountability ends at Pakistan border...From Pakistan to India is b/w these two countries.....

Anyways land transport is always cheaper then sea route....So if India and Pak can resolve their issues(which looks remote) i do not see any issue at all for the oil flow from Iran-Pak-India-BD...

 

[LaBong]

Are you sure about it???? North India is least industrialized because of energy crisis??? For example Punjab,Haryana,UP are agriculture hub...In other words more emphasis are on agriculture rather then industry.....Having said that these states are doing great when comes to pharma sector.....And i completely agree with the notion that this pipeline will be meager percentage of our energy needs....The beauty of this deal is that it will reduce the cost to a larger extent and that's why New Delhi is after it...Had relations with PAK good this deal would have fructified by now...but saying that North INdia is doomed without this deal would be a big overstatement...

Industrialization is directly related to energy. See the example of Bombay, Gujrat and Chennai. They have ports, they can import oil and gas easily, industries boomed there. I'm not talking about service industry here.

 

[Materialistic]

You are overestimating the influence of US on India. It is not the US pressure but the idea of pipeline passing Pakistan that is stopping India to commit itself.

I don’t see any reasons why India will not extend the pipeline to BD, if at all the pipeline materializes, after all if gas has to reach NE, it has pass through BD. So mutually beneficial arrangement

Pakistan doesn't seem to be the main factor, its instead US pressure. Because India-Pakistan issue goes back to last six decades. So when India first got in the plan for such a pipeline, it already knew there was certain risk, but India withdrew itself only after US-Iran tensions grew higher.

Also, if India's source of insecurity is Pakistan then India wouldn't have been looking towards Land route through Pakistan to Afghanistan and Central Asian states for trade. And not just that India is also part of a proposed project TAPI, (Tajikistan Afghanistan Pakistan and India gas pipe line), which is even more vulnerable than IPI project.

In my opinion its enough of evidence to show that its all US's pressure.

 

[r3alist]

bangladeshi's need to be careful that indians dont screw them on pricing

 

[Markus]

India will have to join for Bangladesh to become a partner in this project.

But chances of Indian involvement are minimal given the fact that with the 123 nuclear deal, India has another way to secure its energy needs. With so much money being invested in nuclear power plants, it will be very difficult to invest money in costly cross border pipelines PLUS the $200 million transition fees that Pakistan will charge.