Abstract
This paper presents details of a comprehensive array of technical and commercial challenges associated with the feasibility of a long distance deepwater Middle East to India Deepwater Pipeline (MEIDP) providing information on the technical and commercial feasibility of the deepwater gas transportation system, which will reach a record water depth of 3450m, cross two continental slopes, an earthquake subduction zone (the Owen Fracture Zone) and outfall debris of the river Indus fan in 2500m water depth. It examines the techniques, analysis and technology development now available to make such challenging routes increasingly feasible.
The economic and political drivers for such a project are presented together with details of the overall project cost and tariff calculation to allow successful gas utilization by India's gas starved and stranded power stations. The challenges faced by the project from both a design and installation perspective are discussed together with some of the detailed geohazard assessments performed for the pipeline crossing and active fault zone (OFZ) and the Indus Fan.
High pressure trunk lines have proved to be the safest, cheapest way of transporting gas to market for short to medium distances up to 2,500 kilometers, making the proposed SAGE - Middle East to India Deepwater Pipeline the optimal solution for gas delivery to the Indian Subcontinent. Linking Middle East gas fields of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman to India across the Arabian Sea for an offshore distance of 1200 kilometers. The MEIDP gas transmission pipeline is designed to transport up to 1.1BCFD gas into the Indian energy markets.
The Middle East to India Deepwater Pipeline