The Hindu Business Line : Deora reviews energy ties with bilateral partners

The Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr Murli Deora, today discussed ways of enhancing bilateral co-operation between Russia and India in the hydrocarbon sector.

Among the issues discussed were evacuation of gas from Sakhalin-I and India's participation in Sakhalin-III.

Mr Deora raised these issues at a meeting with Mr Victor Khristenko, Minister for Oil and Energy of the Russian Federation, on the sidelines of the 10th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial under way at Doha, an official statement said.

India, through ONGC Videsh, has 20 per cent participation interest in the Sakhalin-I oil and gas project, which went on stream in October last year.

Mr Deora also held a series of other important bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the IEF Ministerial.

During his interaction with the Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Industry and Energy, Mr Al-Attiyah, the issue of further supplies of LNG to Petronet LNG as well as Qatar's interest in exploring investment opportunities in energy-related infrastructure in India were discussed.

Mr Deora said that he was hopeful that India-Qatar relations would continue to blossom in the energy sector.

Saudi ties

With the Saudi delegation headed by Mr Abdul Azeez Bin Salman, Assistant Minister of Energy, Mr Deora discussed steps to further strengthen ties between the two countries in the energy sector under the Delhi Declaration.

A senior-level delegation from Saudi Arabia is expected to visit India shortly to take the process forward, the statement said.

In another significant meeting with the Venezuelan delegation, it was decided to go ahead in accordance with the Hydrocarbon Agreement signed between the two countries in March 2005.

Mr Deora stated that Indian oil companies would actively pursue long-term supply contracts with Venezuela for sourcing crude oil.

The informal tripartite Ministerial meeting between Iran, Pakistan and India attracted considerable attention at Doha, the statement said.

Ministers from the three countries expressed satisfaction at the progress on the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline and resolved to continue with the process of consultations, first in May 2006 at tripartite Secretary-level talks scheduled in Islamabad and later at tripartite Minister-level talks in Tehran in June 2006.

MoUs progress

At the meeting between the Indian and the Norwegian delegations, both sides expressed satisfaction regarding progress made under the various MoUs entered into in September 2005.

They agreed that the next meeting of the India-Norway joint working group would be convened shortly in Oslo.

Mr Deora, in his interaction with the Egyptian side, discussed mutual co-operation in the hydrocarbon sector by way of criss-cross investments by the two countries.

The Petroleum Minister also met CEOs of ENI and Chevron as well as the head of Exploration & Production, Shell.

ENI expressed considerable interest in enhancing presence in the hydrocarbon value chain in India, which it sees as a rapidly expanding market with considerable potential in the coming years.