Do Khang Ninh, head of PV Gas Corporation, told the annual 18th Gasex Expo and Conference held for the first time in Ha Noi last Friday that participating countries would need to make further studies though the co-operative initiative was conceived quite a long time ago.

He did not reveal more details about PetroVietnam’s pipeline plan.

He spoke about its current efforts to build a domestic gas pipeline that would link Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and natural gas wells in the Nam Con Son basin with the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

This should help balance the demand between the two regions and facilitate gas transport within the country, he said.

Viet Nam’s gas reserves were less abundant than regional countries’, he said, adding the country was likely to face a shortage and had to import the fuel in the next few years given its current consumption of billions of cubic metres a year.

More than 30 billion cu.m of gas had so far been channelled ashore to generate electricity, produce liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), nitrogenous fertilisers, and other products, he said.

By 2012 Viet Nam is expected to import 4-5 billion cu.m of gas a year and PetroVietnam has already begun negotiations.

With suppliers demanding a prohibitively high US$20 per million British thermal units, PV Gas can only import enough LPG to meet 65 per cent of demand.

The company has signed a deal with China’s Sinopec Co to develop a clean energy cluster in Nghi Son in the central province of Thanh Hoa.

The complex will include a liquefied natural gas repository that will supply gas to urban areas and industrial parks.