India plans LNG terminal in Iraq

India is planning to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Iraq as it looks to diversify supplies and strengthen its energy security, a government official said.

- Rituraj Baruah & Utpal Bhaskar

The terminal will liquify some portion of the gas currently flared by Iraq and transport it to India, where it will be converted back to LNG for use in city gas distribution as well as power, fertilizer, and steel sectors.

A team from state-run Indian Oil Corp. Ltd (IOCL) and Engineers India Ltd (EIL) will shortly visit Iraq, which has emerged as India’s second-biggest source of crude oil imports, the official said on condition of anonymity.

“We recently held a joint commission meeting and reviewed all areas. Iraq has become India’s No.2 oil supplier. We are looking at a deeper partnership. We want to import LNG from Iraq, for which the requisite infrastructure is required, and India is willing to set up an LNG terminal for them for liquefaction. A team from IOCL and EIL will shortly visit Iraq," the official said on condition of anonymity.