KARACHI, Jan 29: A three-member technical team from Pakistan would visit Crescent Petroleum in Sharjah to discuss technical activities of the Qatar Gas Project in light of the meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) held in Doha from January 27-29.

A Pakistani delegation comprising Managing Director of SSGC and Inter State Gas System Limited (ISGSL), Munawar B. Ahmed and Senior Joint Secretary, Petroleum Ministry, Manzoor Zubair had already attended the meeting of JCC in Doha. This was the first meeting, organized by the Government of Qatar in the office of Director Oil and Gas, Doha.

The JCC was formed to facilitate and streamline accurate and timely flow of information between the parties involved in the import of gas from Qatar.

According to SSGC spokesman, the committee deliberated on the status of Head of Terms (HoT), development and fiscal agreement, exclusive grant to Crescent Petroleum to export Qatari gas, dedication of gas reserves to the project etc.

The project envisages 1,650 km, 44 inch diameter Qatar-Pakistan Gas Pipeline. It originates from Qatar’s north gas field and after traversing through the territories of transiting countries of UAE and Iran, would finally terminate near Sui in Balochistan. Almost the entire length of the pipeline would be laid sub sea in the shallow waters.

The pipeline will initially transport 1,600 mmcfd and ultimately 3,400 mmcfd of natural gas. The facilities include two compressor stations proposed at Diba and Jiwani. It is proposed that from Jiwani, Pakistan onwards, the pipeline will be laid onshore traversing through the Sindh and terminating at Sui in Balochistan.

Crescent Petroleum representatives had met Secretary Petroleum in Islamabad on November 18, 2002 and later discussed the provisions of draft gas sales agreement with ISGSL executives in Karachi. As a follow up exercise, Crescent officials visited SSGC House on January 14 and exchanged views on the proposed pipeline route within Pakistan’s territories and the provisions of the draft.