Tehran is considering an overland route or a deep-water pipeline to transport its natural gas to India, a deputy energy official said.
Tehran is busy securing commitments for a pipeline from the South Par gas complex in the Persian Gulf. Pakistan has signed on to the project, though India, an early partner, has balked.
Javad Oji, the deputy oil minister in Iran, said formal talks with India on the project, at one time dubbed the Peace Pipeline, where scheduled after the holy month of Ramadan, the semiofficial Mehr News Agency reports.
India has stayed on the sidelines of negotiations since 2008 because of pricing issues with Iran and concerns over the security of the pipeline through Pakistan.
Oji said it was possible to move the project offshore to reach markets in India.
"Using a pipeline through Pakistan's soil or building a deep-water pipeline are the main possible options," he told the news agency.
Tehran said if the pipeline reaches India as originally planned, Bangladesh could link to the gas line from there.
The project faces challenges from Washington, which opposes the deal because of the economic benefits for Iran. Central Asian partners are considering a pipeline through Afghanistan as an alternative to the Iranian gas pipeline.
Iran says first deliveries of natural gas through the pipeline are expected in Pakistan by 2015.
Tehran is busy securing commitments for a pipeline from the South Par gas complex in the Persian Gulf. Pakistan has signed on to the project, though India, an early partner, has balked.
Javad Oji, the deputy oil minister in Iran, said formal talks with India on the project, at one time dubbed the Peace Pipeline, where scheduled after the holy month of Ramadan, the semiofficial Mehr News Agency reports.
India has stayed on the sidelines of negotiations since 2008 because of pricing issues with Iran and concerns over the security of the pipeline through Pakistan.
Oji said it was possible to move the project offshore to reach markets in India.
"Using a pipeline through Pakistan's soil or building a deep-water pipeline are the main possible options," he told the news agency.
Tehran said if the pipeline reaches India as originally planned, Bangladesh could link to the gas line from there.
The project faces challenges from Washington, which opposes the deal because of the economic benefits for Iran. Central Asian partners are considering a pipeline through Afghanistan as an alternative to the Iranian gas pipeline.
Iran says first deliveries of natural gas through the pipeline are expected in Pakistan by 2015.
