Two autonomous energy research institutes in Indian and Pakistan will jointly study all aspects of the proposed Indo-Iran gas pipeline.
"Tata Energy Research Institution (Teri) will conduct the study in association with the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP)," Teri director general R K Pachauri told newsmen here today.
The proposed 2,500-km onland pipeline from Iran via Pakistan has assumed significance since it may be discussed at the weekend India-Pakistan summit.
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India is also considering a costlier option of a deep-sea pipeline that would circumvent Pakistan, a country with which it has gone to war three times.
Pachauri said the joint study will take stock of the present status of the proposals to bring natural gas into India and Pakistan; identify the crucial bottlenecks in implementing the projects and propose possible solutions to the problems identified.
It would also sensitise the policy-making classes and the civil society to the costs and benefits of the proposed projects to secure their support, he said.
The joint study has the mandate to propose an institutional, financial and legal framework to be agreed between the governments to facilitate these projects and to ensure their smooth operation as and when these become operational, the Teri director general said.
During the nine-month study, the institutions of the two neighbouring countries will also conduct seminars and workshops about the benefits of the proposed pipeline.
"It is imperative to mobilise support from civil societies in the two countries to successfully resolve contentious issues," Pachauri said.
According to rough estimates done by Teri, the online pipeline from Iran to India across Pakistan would cost around $ 4.5 billion while the shallow waters offshore pipeline would cost 60 per cent more.
The deep-sea pipeline would cost considerably more, Pachauri said.