Myanmar will implement some new natural gas pipeline projects for extensive distribution of gas in the country, the local Flower News reported in this week's issue.

Priority will be given to the laying of a 160-kilometer gas pipeline from Nyaungdon to Thabaung in southwestern Ayeyawaddy division, and a 192-kilometer one from southeastern Mon state's Myaingkalay to Yangon.

Other two pipelines to be followed suit will be a 308-kilometer one from Magway in central part of the country to Taunggyi in northeastern Shan state and a 168-kilometer one from Migyaungye to Pyinmana in the central part, the state-run Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise was quoted as saying.

Pyinmana is an emerging new capital which is under development.

There has been 34 gas pipelines in Myanmar with a total length of nearly 1,800 kilometers, according to official data.

Meanwhile, negotiation is underway over a pipeline project for India to import gas from two offshore blocks in Myanmar's western Rakhine state to India's West Bengal state as huge natural gas deposit was found in early 2004 at Block A-1 off the Rakhine coast.

The field holds a gas reserve of 4 trillion to 6 trillion cubic- feet (TCF) or 113.2 billion to 170 billion cubic-meters (BCM). The whole block is estimated to yield up to 14 TCF (396.2 BCM) of gas.

With the possession of 19 onshore oil fields, Myanmar has a total of 87 trillion cubic feet (TCF) or 2.46 trillion cubic meters (TCM) of gas reserve and 3.2 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil reserve.

Official figures show that in the fiscal year 2004-05 which ended in March, Myanmar produced 7.48 million barrels of crude oil and 10.69 billion cubic meters (BCM) of gas. Gas export during the year went to 9.5 BCM, earning over 1 billion U.S. dollars.

Meanwhile, oil and natural gas sector dominated the country's foreign investment with 2.494 billion dollars or 32.69 percent of the total.

Thailand's PTTEP and Malaysia's Petronas stood as the two largest investors in Myanmar's oil and gas sector. Others are from Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Indonesia, India and South Korea.

Source: Xinhua