November 2019, Vol. 246, No. 11
Global News
India, Nepal Open South Asia’s First Cross-Border Oil Pipeline
India and Nepal have officially opened South Asia’s first cross-border oil pipeline, a project seen as part of New Delhi’s efforts to increase its influence in the Himalayan nation where China is also making deep inroads.
The 43-mile (69-km) pipeline, built by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in cooperation with Nepal Oil Corporation, was completed 15 months ahead of schedule, officials said. The pipeline will supply oil from Motihari in the eastern Indian state of Bihar to Amlekhgunj in Nepal.
India funded the $45 million pipeline project, which is expected to save Nepal about $8.7 million a year in transport costs.
Nepal, which shares a 1,094-mile (1,751-km) border with India, consumes about 2.66 million tons of oil and about 480,000 tons of cooking gas, currently carried in trucks from half a dozen Indian depots to different points in Nepal.
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