ISLAMABAD, Dec 1: An eight-member high-level delegation of Russian energy firm Gazprom is arriving here on Saturday to discuss possibilities of laying a 2,670-km long Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline to India and development of petroleum storages in Pakistan.

The delegation led by Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom board A.G. Ananckov is expected to hold meetings with the federal minister and secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources besides other relevant authorities.

The delegation would also include the company's head of legal department K.A. Chuychenko and head of foreign relations department Stanislav Tsygankov besides five other technical experts.

The visit of the delegation takes place ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposed trip to New Delhi by mid of this month to hold wide-ranging discussions with the Indian leadership.

Pakistan had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Gazprom in November last year to carry out, without surveying and mapping Pakistan's naval territory, the pre-feasibility of trans-Pakistan gas pipeline from Iran to India and to enhance oil and gas cooperation.

The MoU has already expired. The sources said the Russian firm is expected to request Islamabad to re-validate the MoU. Gazprom agreed under the MoU to enhance cooperation in the all fields of oil and gas including conversion of diesel vehicles to compressed natural gas and privatization process in Pakistan.

No progress or follow up could take place since then, these sources added. The Russian firm was required under the MoU to prepare proposals on cooperation for consideration of the Pakistan government to be followed up by relevant agreements for cooperation.

Gazprom that was asked by Indian government to look into the possibility of under-water pipeline from Iran to India in October 2001 has already concluded that this option was not feasible and faced technical, political and economical risks.