Bahrain plans to introduce environmentally friendly liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) into new housing projects.

The possibility of laying underground pipes in the country's new towns is now being studied, said Oil and Gas Affairs Minister and National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga) chairman Dr Abdulhussain Mirza.

'Plans include possible metering of the gas supplied with consumers paying monthly gas bills,' he said as Noga marks its fifth anniversary today.

'There are similar facilities in many parts of the world and I see no reason why we cannot do it in Bahrain.'

However, Dr Mirza said it would be too complicated to lay LPG pipelines in every part of Bahrain.

'Since the new towns are being planned and construction is underway at some places, this can be incorporated easily,' he said.

'Detailed discussions will, however, take place before the plan is actually implemented.'

The Municipalities and Agriculture Ministry has reportedly drawn up plans to build six new towns across Bahrain and work is already underway at the BD1 billion Northern Town, off the Budaiya coast.

LPG, one of the by-products of crude oil refining, would come from the Bapco refinery.

Dr Mirza also revealed Bahrain was in talks with more than 10 international oil companies to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facilities plant.

He said it could be up and running within four years and once in place would enable gas to be obtained from any country.-TradeArabia News Service