Dubai: Iranian government sources have indicated that India is likely to resume negotiations for importing natural gas from Iran via a sea pipeline, separate from the 'Peace Pipeline' that was intended to traverse the Pakistan landmass and deliver gas at India's frontiers.

"India has expressed willingness to restart negotiations through an international firm, to independently import natural gas from Iran via a sea pipeline," the Iran Daily quoted deputy oil minister and managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Javad Owji as saying.

"No exact date has been yet finalised for the gas talks between Iran and India but they are expected to start after the month of Ramadan," Owji said.

He also mentioned that a decision was yet to be taken on the manner in which gas would be exported to India from Iran.

"Using a pipeline through Pakistan's soil or building a deepwater pipeline are the main possible options," he said.

The 'Peace Pipeline' failed to live up to the promise of its name when India opted out of the tripartite venture which included Iran, Pakistan and India. In its earlier avatar the 'Peace Pipeline' was dubbed a more prosaic 'Iran-Pakistan-India', or the 'IPI', gas pipeline.

Both Iran and Pakistan have decided to move ahead with the venture and rope in China as a possible replacement for India. Earlier this year, Iran and Pakistan signed the deal to build the pipeline.

Under the deal Tehran will deliver 21.2 million cubic meters (750 million cubic feet) of natural gas per day to Pakistan, starting 2014.

Inspite of the bi-partite arrangement between Iran and Pakistan, Iran's deputy foreign minister Mohammad Ali Fathollahi did mention in August that Iran would welcome the presence of India in the regional gas pipeline. "There is an article in the gas transfer deal between Iran and Pakistan, predicting the extension of the pipeline to India should the country be ready to join the project," Fathollahi said.

Iranian oil ministry's gas exports authority, Asghar Soheilipour had earlier advised India to reconsider joining the 'Peace Pipeline' project, stressing that it would be the most economical and efficient export route. Soheilipour had mentioned in July that India was currently conducting feasibility studies on the direct seabed route.

Elaborating on the two possible routes for exporting gas to India, Soheilipour said, ''Exporting gas via a direct seabed route and transfer gas via Pakistan's border are the two possible ways.''

So far both India and Pakistan have rebuffed persistent US efforts to sabotage the pipeline project.

With respect to Pakistan, Soheilipour said that country's natural gas reserves had reduced over the past decades.

Meanwhile, it appears that Bangladesh may also have made a proposal to receive Iran's natural gas through the 'Peace Pipeline'.