OPEC for Gas»

The international forum of natural gas producers received a message from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stating his support for initiatives for global co-ordination of the gas market.

According to Energy Minister Sameh Fahmi, who delivered the message, Egypt is also firmly committed to the project of constructing a trans-Arabian gas pipeline that will link Egypt's gas fields to the pipeline network of Turkey and of Europe thereafter. The regional pipeline project was agreed on during the Euro-Mediterranean Conference in 2003. The first stage of the project was completed in July 2003 with the construction of a pipeline between Egypt and Jordan. The second stage will link Jordan's AqabaPort to Syria's Al-Rehab.

From there on, the pipeline will go into Lebanon, and then Turkey. The conference in Cairo commenced on Sunday and ended yesterday. It gathered 15 natural gas producing countries that combined hold about 75% of the world's total proven reserves and account for about 90% of the total output.