Overview
- India's petroleum ministry, which officials said Thursday will task GAIL, Engineers India and Indian Oil with a detailed study, is moving the project into formal feasibility work.
- The proposed Middle East–India Deep-water Pipeline would span about 2,000 kilometres under the Arabian Sea via Oman and the UAE to Gujarat, with a capacity near 31 mmscmd.
- Engineers say depths of up to 3,450 metres are workable using newer deep-sea installation methods, and SAGE has already laid about 3,000 metres of test pipe to study the seabed.
- The push follows late-February disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz that squeezed LNG supply and lifted prices, highlighting India’s heavy reliance on that route and its lack of gas storage.
- If the study is positive, the government expects talks with Oman on supply and financing, with total costs near ₹40,000 crore and build time estimated at five to seven years if approved.