Thursday, September 21 2006 17:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India is pitted against China, South Korea and Thailand in the race to secure the huge gas found in offshore Myanmar.

While India, China and Thailand have proposed to lay pipelines to their respective countries for transporting gas from the Shwe gas field in Bay of Bengal, South Korea has proposed to liquefy it and transport it in form of Liquefied natural gas (LNG), industry sources said.

New Delhi has proposed to lay a 1,400-km India-Myanmar pipeline, originating from Sittwe (Akyab) in Myanmar and entering into India through Mizoram and would pass through Aizawl, Dispur and Guwahati in Assam, Shiliguri in West Bengal to join the Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline at Gaya in Bihar.

China on the other had proposes a lay a 2,380-km long pipeline originating from Kyaukphyu in Myanmar and terminating at Ruili in China's Yunan province after passing through Pagun Tuywintanuag and Mandalay.

Thailand has proposed to a 1,100-km pipeline.

Myanmar is looking at a buyer who would pay the maximum price for the gas found in Block A-1 and in adjacent A-3 block. In both the blocks India's ONGC Videsh Ltd and GAIL hold 30 per cent stake.

Sources said the Indian offer was better than the Chinese price offer as the length of pipeline was shorter. For transporting gas to Indian border, a pipeline of just 250-km length is to be laid in Myanmar while to do the same to China would require a 1000-km line and Thailand would require 1,100-km pipeline.