Gas Pipeline to Kashmir: Regulatory Body initiates bidding process to lay 325-Km gas pipeline

Proposed pipeline to originate from Gurdaspur-Jammu gas pipeline’s termination point

Srinagar, Jan 19  : In a significant move, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has commenced a bidding process for laying 325-kilometre long Jammu-Srinagar gas pipeline.

Documents accessed by news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reveal that the Board has invited bids for grant of authorization for laying, building, operating or expanding Jammu-Srinagar natural gas pipeline with an initial system capacity of at least 2.0 MMSCMD including common carrier capacity.

The bids were invited on January 12, 2023, the documents show.

In a move aimed at catering to the natural gas requirements in J&K, the PNGRB had last year initiated a suo-motu proposal for development of the Jammu-Srinagar natural gas pipeline. After completion of public consultation process and based on discussions with the entities/stakeholders during the open house discussions, PNGRB had decided to invite online application-cum-bid for authorization to develop Jammu-Srinagar natural gas pipeline spanning about 325 kilometre with minimum system capacity of at least 2.0 MMSCMD including common carrier capacity during the entire economic life.

The proposed gas pipeline shall originate from the termination point of GAIL (India) Limited’s Gurdaspur-Jammu Natural Gas Pipeline.

“GAIL’s pipeline shall also act as a source for the proposed Jammu- Srinagar Natural Gas Pipeline,” the documents state.

According to documents, the spur-lines shall be provided by the authorized entity as per the customer’s requirement en-route the pipeline in line with the provisions of the relevant regulations.

In the Union Budget 2022-23, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a new gas pipeline project for development of Jammu and Kashmir—(KNO)