The Hindu : National : India-Africa hydrocarbon meet today

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Tuesday, Nov 06, 2007
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India-Africa hydrocarbon meet today

Sujay Mehdudia

Petroleum Minister holds talks with African countries

Delhi exploring high level of cooperation and investment in oil and gas sectors
The Indian side also offered assistance in developing a pipeline network

NEW DELHI: Seen as an initiative to move away from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to other sources of energy, the first-ever India-Africa Hydrocarbon Conference and Exhibition takes off in the Capital on Tuesday in the backdrop of an alarming rise in crude oil prices and refusal of OPEC to enhance production.

Even before the summit has begun, India indulged in some “oil diplomacy” with Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora holding bilateral meetings with some senior ministerial delegations from Chad, Ghana, Ethiopia and Comoros to explore high level of cooperation and investment in African oil and gas sectors that are estimated to hold 10 per cent of the world’s energy reserves.

The summit is being organised by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry with FICCI. The event is supported by UNCTAD.

In the meeting with Alemayehu Tegenu, Minister of Mines and Energy of Ethiopia, the two leaders explored possibilities of cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

The Indian side suggested roping in Engineers India Limited in the engineering and other services.

Similar assistance was also offered in the largely unexplored Exploration and Production sector of Ethiopia along with using Indian expertise to set up a refinery in that country. The Indian side also offered assistance in developing a pipeline network along with building infrastructure for transportation of LNG in smaller quantities to the places which not connected by the pipeline.

During his meeting with Houmadi Abdallah, Comoros’ Minister of Energy, Mines and Industry, Mr. Deora said India was keen to take forward cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector between the two countries.

The bilateral meetings with Ghana and Chad were held at the official level and focussed on developing CNG facilities in Ghana by the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL).

It was informed that the refinery expansion project planned by Ghana offers an area of cooperation in which EIL could assist in engineering and technical consultancy services.

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