The Government of India is actively working towards expanding the pipeline projects for the National Gas Grid as evident from the survey work which has started for GAIL’s 2,050-km Jagdishpur-Phulpur-Haldia pipeline covering four states in eastern India, namely West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. This was stated by Saurabh Chandra, Secretary, Petroleum and Natural Gas, at the Petrofed Awards function held recently.
The government has identified the National Gas Grid as a priority area and has entrusted the task of preparing a detailed roadmap, including requirement of funds, for developing the grid to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board. The regulatory body will plan, authorise and monitor the development of pipeline infrastructure in India and facilitate the transport of gas to different parts of the country.
In addition to the 15,000 km of gas pipeline system available currently in the country, an additional 15,000 km of gas pipelines will be developed using appropriate PPP models in order to complete the gas grid. This will help increase the use of domestic and imported gas which, in the long term, will help reduce dependence on any one energy source.
Earlier, GAIL (India) Ltd was adjudged ‘Company of the Year’ in the Project Management category for its Dabhol-Bengaluru natural gas pipeline project at the Petroleum Federation of India (PetroFed) Oil & Gas Industry Awards 2013.
The 1,000 km-long Dabhol-Bangaluru pipeline, which connects south India to the national gas grid, was built at an investment of Rs. 4,500 crore. Completed within cost, the pipeline construction was carried out in the highly undulating Western Ghats and met all norms of health and occupational safety. The project had earlier been conferred the Platts Global Energy Awards in the ‘Premier Project in Large Construction’ category.
GAIL owns and operates a network of around 11,000 km of natural gas high pressure trunk pipeline with a capacity of approx. 206 mmscmd of natural gas across the country.
