Bharat Rakshak

Siberian oil for India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... 900088.cms

NEW DELHI: India's Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, on a three-day visit to Russia to boost cooperation in the energy sector, has mooted an alternative pipeline route to the Mediterranean to enable India to source Siberian oil.

"I expressed India's keenness to directly source Russian crude and suggested an alternative pipeline route from Nakhodka in Russia to the Caspian Sea on to the Black Sea and finally to the Red Sea," Aiyar told the media here Tuesday during a teleconference.

While India may not be able to bring across its share of oil and gas from Sakhalin-I, Aiyar said he has made known gas infrastructure major GAIL (India) Ltd's interest to help with the laying of a pipeline to Japan in the event of exploration block operator Exxon Mobil deciding to do so

India seeks strategic energy alliance with Russia

Knowing this much, KSA and OPEC realizes it is in their interest to keep oil prices well below $50 per barrel. They are in as much of a bind as we are.

As predicted. they are testing India's resolve as the Intelligence Online article suggest.

---

Fossil Fuel Lobby Behind India's Spat With U.S.?

Ranjit Devraj


NEW DELHI, Oct 26 (IPS) - India is irked over allegations by Washington that its scientists have passed on nuclear technology to Iran and leaders, as well as experts here, are inclined to believe that the charges are a ploy to restrict plans to develop genuine nuclear power programmes that could reduce the country's dependency on oil imports.

In their claims made last month, Washington named two top Indian scientists Y.S.R. Prasad and C. Surendar -- both former heads of the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation -- as being involved in the deal with Iran.

The scientists are now barred from visiting the U.S. or dealing with U.S.-based companies.

The Indians were among 14 ''entities'', including seven from China and one each from Belarus, North Korea, Russia, Spain and Ukraine to face the sanctions.

''A rapidly developing country like India needs cheap and clean energy sources that do not burn up fossil fuels and, indeed, so do similar countries like Iran and Brazil,'' Jasjit Singh, one of India's most respected strategic analysts told IPS in an interview.

India imports 70 percent of its petroleum and officials estimate that India's oil import bill could rise by 50 percent to 27 billion U.S. dollars during the current fiscal year as against the 18 billion dollars in fiscal 2003-04 on account of spiraling international prices.

Singh, former director of the prestigious Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), and editor of the forthcoming publication 'Nuclear Power and Non-proliferation' said following the recent hike in petroleum prices, nuclear energy had become vital for India's socio-economic progress.

''Powerful international oil and energy lobbies naturally have a big stake in India's energy needs,'' he said.

India has denied the nuclear proliferation charges and, last week, officials at the Ministry of External Affairs said they had formally countered Washington's demand for proof that the two men are innocent by asking the Bush administration to prove its own charges.

Curiously enough the charges and counter-charges come at a time when India and the United States have begun sweeping aside decades of mutual suspicion on dual-use technology issues through what is officially called the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP).

In mid- September, the Bush administration announced the partial lifting of sanctions on equipment and know-how for India's space and nuclear programmes imposed after the country tested a nuclear weapon in 1974 with the backing of the former Soviet Union.

Since then U.S. officials have said they are considering the imposition of curbs on some Indian 'entities' suspected of having aided Tehran's alleged nuclear weapons programme. For its part, Iran has insisted that its nuclear programme was peaceful and had no weapons component.

Only last Saturday Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated India's own long-held position at its nuclear facilities in southern Tamil Nadu state where a 2,000 megawatt nuclear power station is being built. He said that this country ''will not be the source of proliferation of sensitive technologies.''

India has steadfastly refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) on the grounds that it was discriminatory and has gone ahead to build up its nuclear and space programmes indigenously while insisting that it was against proliferation.

In 1998 India again demonstrated its capability by testing nuclear weapons and its successful launch by 2001 of Geo-Stationary Launch Vehicles (GSLV)s showed New Delhi's mastery over cryogenic engine technology that is used in inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM)s.

In the present imbroglio, it does not help that India and Iran chalked up last January a 'New Declaration' of cooperation that set forth a ''vision of strategic partnership for a more stable, secure and prosperous region.''

While India has taken no official position on Iran's current predicament, in which it is being threatened with international sanctions, Manmohan Singh indicated on Saturday that he disapproved of U.S. policy that denied technology to countries.

''Technology denial and closing the avenues for international cooperation in some more important fields is tantamount to denial of development benefits to millions of people,'' Manmohan Singh said at the nuclear facility in Tamil Nadu where he laid the foundation stone for a new fast-breeder power plant using locally available thorium as nuclear fuel.

U.S. led sanctions prevent the export of uranium to India but this country happens to have the world's largest known reserves of thorium and its nuclear power proramme is centered around the alternative radio-active material.

''We are determined to utilise its (nuclear technology's) full potential for the national good. It can also be a much needed cushion against fluctuations in oil prices,'' added the premier.

India is currently embarked on a programme to generate 20,000 megawatts (MW) of nuclear power by 2020 and by 2008 it would be generating 4000 MW of nuclear energy including 2,000 MW coming from the Russian-built reactors at Koodankumankulam.

Leading nuclear scientists from several Third World countries meeting in the Italian port city of Trieste on Oct 4 and 5, raised the issue of U.S. sanctions crippling technologies vital for their rapid development by labeling them 'dual-use' or having both civilian and military application.

''They are mixing the legitimate use of frontline technology for genuine development with military applications,'' said the physicist M.H. A. Hassan, while attending that 40th anniversary celebrations of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) at Trieste.

Hassan said nuclear and space technology had too many peaceful applications that could not be ignored by developing countries and his views were shared by top ranking scientific delegates from countries as far as Brazil and Bangladesh. (END/2004)

note the clever linking of 'environmental concerns' with the denial of clean nuclear technology.

---

France refuses help on nuclear energy

New Delhi, Oct 29. (UNI): France on Wednesday ruled out cooperation with India on civilian use of nuclear technology saying the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) rules foreclosed any such option.

"There are a number of rules under the NPT that prevent such cooperation," visiting French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told senior Indian editors.

At the first 'Meet the Editors' interaction with a visiting dignitary by the Editors' Guild of India, Mr Barnier said though his country understood the nuclear energy needs of the country in the backdrop of the rising oil prices, the NPT regime prevented any possibility of cooperation.

France fulfills 80 per cent of its energy demands from nuclear energy while the India is dependent on oil imports.

"France will go on highlighting the specific position of India as an emerging power in the world," Mr Barnier said. India will, however, have to engage NPT signatories in debates and dicussions on the nuclear issue, he added. (yea right)

He said the strategic dialogue between France and India should include international issues and environmental concerns should be put high on the agenda.

On the global situation, he said though the break-up of the erstwhile Soviet Union ended the era of two super powers, now the world is left with "one major power and disorder in the rest of the world".

The French Minister also criticised US President George W Bush's comment two days ago that the world was safer today after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We need a fair world. The world would be more safe if it is more fair."

The interaction was attended by Editors' Guild of India president M J Akbar, columnist S Nihal Singh, political analysts Inder Malhotra and Deputy Editor of 'The Hindu' Sidhartha Varadharajan.

Germany might be a better bet for nuke tech. I mean, they tried to sell us (PRC) a reactor until their own internal handwringing botched it.

Reliance on the lookout for oil & gas blocks overseas

IOC Clinches USD 3 Billion deal to develop Iran's South Pars gas fields

kazak oil for india

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922 ... 000092.htm

in my view iran gas and kazak oil have the ability to change energy dynamics of our country.also shows the sucess of our oil diplomacy.

Those with pipelines call the tune

And, true to his nature, he says




The race is on for Kazakh oil - India misses the bus

why not tap off from the chinese pipelines, with an agreement with china!? hell with routing throu TSP.

The Chinese are speedily laying 1,300 km of pipeline from Atasu in eastern Kazakhstan to Alashanku in China's western Xinjiang province.


if we can deal with nature.

krsna,

The Xinjiang-Tibet-India route will be difficult and long. Will push up the cost enormously.

Aiyar favours oil diplomacy

It is a good move to have a foreign-service officer in the Petroleum ministry but it needs close co-ordination with the FM all the time.

sure.. i think it would be worth it, if you consider the following factors:

1. anything thru pakistan is unstable, security risk, and 100% possibility of getting blown up.
2. cost of repairing blown up pipes.
3. strategic cost, that indirectly help pakistan to hold india by the collar and instigate violence to blow up pipes.
4. social un-rest, and further economic problems slowing down the growth.
...

I still feel, get the best technology, sign up with the more reliable chinese than this well known idiots and terrorist nation of the world. It is more a workable solution. We can learn much, with india stepping into super engineering structures and pipeline / tunnel building etc. It is also another growth oppty, tech transfer and localization of the technology, job growth, etc.

krsna,



What I said does not translate into support for a pipeline thro' TSP. Far from it. I am one of the most ardent opponents of the landline thro' TSPland.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/kazaexpo.html

Recently, progress has reportedly been made on a Trans-Asian oil export pipeline linking Kazakhstan and India. The preferred route would bypass the volatile countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan, although this would make the project more expensive. The pipeline apparently would pass through the city of Kashi in northwestern China and then across the Siachen Glacier into Indian Kashmir.

Instead of such a route, the Turkmenistan-Iran route should be preferable. Of course, it may rise the transshipment fee but it is safer and much less difficult to lay, monitor and maintain. Already, Turkmenistan & Iran have a pipeline in place. With the Chabahar port being developed by India, the outlet is already much closer.

RIL's plans for KG gas production

Poll in Indian Express

"Should India proceed with the Iranian gas project that involves laying a pipeline through Pakistan ?"

Current Results

Yes 29%
No 66%
Can't Say 5 %

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/deepimpact-04r.html
Shiva: Another K-T Impact?

Shiva, a large, underwater crater off the coast of India...measures 600 by 400 kilometers, and was made by an enormous meteorite measuring 40 kilometers across.
...
In addition, Chatterjee says there is an underwater mountain as high as Mount Everest within the Shiva crater. He says this structure has been dated to be 65 million years old, and he thinks it could be the central peak that is often seen within large impact craters.
...
that oil companies and the Indian government control the site where Shiva is located, and access is extremely limited.

As if these places aren't hostile or volatile?

Good to see India talking about energy security issues with the EU as part of its "strategic partnership" programme with them.

India to take forward strategic partnership with the EU

Petronet floats tender for LNG ships :

The Malaysians get into the LNG regassification act.

Petronas to set up regasification terminal in Kochi

Reliance expects up to 3 times more gas from KG basin


http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full ... t_id=73222

this along with expected gas find from gspcl from adjacent block could change indian gas scenario. perhaps india might be self suffiecient in gas

GOI asks Petronet to complete Dabhol LNG plant

pintoo_kumar,

GIIP (Gas Initially In Place) is the total amount of gas found initially in a reservoir when the reservoir is discovered. However, GIIP needs to be updated with additional information as a result of production and development activities. Reserve is that portion of the GIIP that can be produced from the reservoir under the present technical and economic conditions.

42 TCF is probably Reliance's estimate of "possible" reserves.

Reserves are split into 3 (with decreasing probablity):
Proven
Probable
Possible

Note: the independent estimate of "proven" reserves is still 8.7 TCF, but Reliance keeps putting out the 14TCF figure.


India's annual gas consumption is ~1.5 TCF, U.S annual gas consumption is ~22 TCF. Just to put this in perspective

i thought 8.7 tcf is reserves for the first 4 gas fields which were taken into accessment while 14tcf is reserves totaling all the 6 fields(including the 2 fileds which have not been accessed but have been included in reliance estimate). also one must remember that all the fields contained gas and only 15% of the total area has been covered . also ssridhar what are recovery rates for gas. for oil i guess it is only 5 to 25%. what is it for gas.

pintoo kumar, recovery depends on several factors including geologic structures. However, as ROT > 50% of in-place reserve is recoverable. There are various enhanced recovery techniques that can yield more. Also, recovery is a combination of technology plus economics.

The estimates are for different reservoirs (I think 3 different reservoirs) all in the Dirubhai field. All these reservoirs together total 8.7 TCF (proved + probable + possible) according to the independent consultant (my previous post was incorrect on this). Reliance claims reserves in these reservoirs is 14 TCF. Some of this claim may be justified as some wells were drilled after the evaluation was done. But the fact remains that the 14 TCF figure has not been independently certified.

There is a lot of stuff on this issue on the web, look it up.

PS: I have no idea about how this 42 TCF figure has emerged.

Sakhalin-1 launches oil pipeline construction :

OIL ropes in foreign firms for Brahmaputra oil hunt

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1100956,0002.htm

Indo-Asian News Service
Guwahati, November 11

India is planning a massive hunt to strike crude oil in its north eastern region by engaging foreign experts to dig the bed of the main Brahmaputra river, officials said on Thursday.

Experts in the northeast have begun exploration in new areas as the existing oil fields have been showing "declining trends" with the passage of time.

"Production capability is very high in the new areas and so we are laying much emphasis on exploratory and drilling work in unexplored locations in the northeast," the OIL official said.

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full ... t_id=73870
The silk route of oil diplomacy

Niko Resources Q2 profits rise to $6.8M from $6.6M



http://www.canada.com/businesscentre/story.html?id=c0f3ed61-f506-492c-a8ce-e68146216f12

The link for the above post does not work.

Give us a break. This is a serious discussion forum

http://joevialls.altermedia.info/wecont ... akoil.html

this is the link