ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia are close to ink yet another strategicpipeline project across Pakistan.
Both are giving final touches to a BOOT (built own operate and transfer)based agreement for laying down $2 billion 800km North-South RLNG specificpipeline staring from Nawabshah to Lahore.
“Once the project gets completed, the Russian company is most likely tocharge 70-75 cents per mmcfd gas as transportation tariff.”
Pakistan’s two LNG terminals are currently equipped with the off-takeguarantee of 1.2 bcfd re-gasified LNG from the government of Pakistan.However, three private-to-private model based LNG terminals are also inpipeline, which may be operational by 2020.
And on top of that, (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan –India) TAPI line isalso re-scheduled to be operational by 2020.
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Under this project, Pakistan will be importing 1.3 bcfd gas.
The main problem will be how to evacuate the gas to various parts of thecountry and for this purpose both Pakistan and Russia will give the finalshape to the BOOT agreement.
The N-S pipeline with diameter of 42 inch will be having the capacity toevacuate 1.2 bcfd gas. Pakistan Inter-State Gas System (ISGS) and fromRussia’s side RT Global will engage in talks. Both sides have done maximumwork in the last two years towards the agreement. But the main problem thathindered its execution is the US sanctions on the Russian company.
