GAIL to supply gas to Barauni fertiliser, Bettiah power plant

Gas Authority of India (GAIL), natural gas major, would supply gas to Barauni fertiliser factory and its 250-300 Mw power plant at Bettiah through its 1,400 km Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline by 2012.

"We are laying down 1,400 km gas pipeline from Jagdishpur to Haldia at an estimated cost of Rs 7,000 crore which would pass through some areas of Bihar such as Rohtas, Bhabhua, Aurangabad, Gaya... The gas to both Barauni fertiliser factory and Bettiah power plant will be supplied through two spur lines," U D Choubey, Chairman and Managing Director of GAIL, told reporters here today.

Choubey, who was here to receive a fellowship from Indian Institute of Business Management (IIBM), Patna, said the two spur lines would be laid down from Bakhtiarpur to Barauni and the other from Bakhtiarpur to Champaran via Chhapra.

Choubey said GAIL would supply 2.11 mmscmd gas from its first spur line to the fertiliser factory, which would be revived by June 2012 through special purpose vehicle (a joint venture company promoted by NFL, RCF and KRIBHCO) under the name of Urvarak Videsh, for a period of 15 years from the date of commencement of supplies.

GAIL would make an investment of around Rs 30,000 crore in next four to five years on doubling of pipeline length from the current 6,700 km, he said.