ISLAMABAD -- A 10-member delegation from the Iranian Fuel Consumption Organization (IFCO), headed by Ali Hamidi Abarqou'I held a meeting here on Monday with Secretary of the Petroleum Ministry Abdullah Yousaf and exchanged views on the proposed Pakistan-Iran cooperation in the compressed natural gas (CNG) sector.

Welcoming the Iranian delegation, currently on a five-day visit to Pakistan to study the CNG expertise, the Pakistani official said both countries enjoy good ties in all fields including the oil and gas sector and Pakistan is looking forward to interact with Iran in CNG sector at the earliest.

Pakistan, he said, has tremendous potential and expertise in CNG field and it is ready to extend all out cooperation for the promotion of CNG industry of Iran, IRNA reported.

Abdullah Yousaf directed the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) to offer full cooperation with the visiting delegation to achieve the objectives.

At the meeting, Ali Hamidi informed that Iran has planned to convert 1.6 million vehicles during the next seven years from petrol to CNG.

He said the visit of IFCO's delegation to Pakistan would provide an opportunity to abreast with the technical know-how and expertise being applied by Pakistan in CNG sector.

Director General, HDIP Hilal A Raza and other senior officials of the Ministry were also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile the Iranian delegation visited Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) office. Chairman OGRA, Munir Ahmad briefed the delegates on CNG operations and regulatory framework in Pakistan.

The chairman informed that with the introduction of CNG in the private sector, Pakistan now ranks third in international rating and the leader in Asia with 383 CNG stations and more than 350,000 CNG vehicles in a very short period of time. The driving factor behind this rapid growth in the sector is the price differential between motor gasoline and CNG and the incentives available to the sector in view of the encouraging government policies adopted so far.

The delegation will leave for Lahore to meet representatives of CNG industry. In Karachi, the Iranians will also visit Pak Suzuki manufacturing plant, Pakistan Machine Tool Factory and cylinder testing facilities of Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP).