Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Petroleum, Nadeem Babar has said that Third Party Access (TPA) rules are a favourable development that could lead more US companies to invest in the LNG sector of Pakistan.
SAPM Nadeem Babar along with Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan held a virtual meeting with Francis R Fannon, Assistant Secretary of US State Department for Energy Resources, on Monday evening. Angela Aggeler, US Chargé d’Affaires was also present in the virtual session.
Both sides discussed the energy sector including Pakistan’s third party access policy for gas infrastructure.
The federal minister gave an overview of Pakistan’s energy sector and the present government’s earnest endeavours in reforming the energy sector of the country.
The SAPM highlighted the key areas of TPA rules under which the government would open up the LNG business from a pure state-led monopoly to an open market for private participation. He explained the government of not increasing its financial commitments in the LNG sector and allowing the private sector to step in.
The SAPM also apprised the participants that if the existing terminals want to remarket their excess capacity, they are free to do. While explaining the third-party access rules, he said that TPA is also available for pipelines already.
He further said that the Pipeline are now open access to anyone who has the gas marketing licences from the independent regulator OGRA. Any unused government capacity of terminals is also being advertised and private companies will be able to bring & sell the LNG to consumers of their own choice. Fennon thanked the minister and SAPM for an informed session on TPA rules of Pakistan. He hoped that the US would step up cooperation in the energy sector.
