Jordan says Egypt to fix gas pipeline in 7-10 days

Jordanian Energy Minister Khalid Tuqan said on Wednesday that Egypt is expected to fix its bombed gas pipeline in the Sinai peninsula within seven to 10 days. "The Egyptian side is expected to repair the gas pipeline within seven to 10 days before resuming supplies to Jordan," Tuqan told the state-run Petra news agency. "Jordan currently has 245,000 tonnes of heavy oil and diesel, which are enough to cover the country's needs for 65 days if the gas supplies do not resume," he added. Saboteurs bombed the gas pipeline near the town of Al-Arish in the north of the Sinai peninsula, cutting supplies to Israel and Jordan in the fourth such attack since February, when an uprising toppled former president Hosni Mubarak and saw power handed over to a military council. "Jordanian officials will visit Iraq next week to discuss means to provide the kingdom with oil... and import gas," Tuqan said. Egypt also supplies about 40 percent of Israel's demand for natural gas, which it uses to produce electricity. Jordan, which buys 95 percent of its energy needs, imports about 240 million cubic feet (6.8 million cubic metres) of Egyptian gas a day, or 80 percent of its electricity requirements. Amman and Cairo are renegotiating the 2002 gas deal, under which Egypt used to sell gas to Jordan at a discounted price -- half of the market price, or $3 (2.16 euros) per million British Thermal Units (1,000 cubic feet of gas equals 1.027 million BTU).