Gulf-wide gas pipeline a distant dream

Abu Dhabi, November 3, 2008

A Gulf-wide gas pipeline may be a distant dream as negotiations are currently revolving on a bilateral rather than multilateral basis, two Gulf oil ministers said on Monday.

'The trend now is bilateral, (rather) than multilateral discussions,' Mohamed bin Hamed Al-Rumhy, Oman's oil minister told Reuters on the sidelines of an oil and gas conference.

'It is easier for two or three to agree than five or six,' he said.

The Gulf's first cross-border gas project, the Dolphin project, initiated by the United Arab Emirates to import gas from Qatar and export to Oman, is a 'great project' but it is limited to three countries for now, said Abdulhussain bin Ali Mirza, Bahrain's oil minister.

Asked if a Gulf Cooperation Council-wide gas network project could be worked out, he said, 'not in the near future.'    

Earlier this week, Oman received gas under the Dolphin project. - Reuters

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