Turkmenistan ready to accelerate TAPI project through closer cooperation with partners
ASHGABAT. April 25 (Interfax) - Turkmenistan is ready to speed up the implementation of the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline project through closer cooperation with its partners, general director of TAPI Pipeline Co. Ltd. (project operator) Muhammetmyrat Amanov said at the International Investment Forum to Attract Investments in the Energy Sector of Turkmenistan (TEIF 2024) in Paris.
As reported by Turkmenportal, Amanov said that Turkmenistan had completed the construction of the pipeline on its own territory. With Afghanistan, he said, important agreements have been reached on security issues and the acquisition of land for laying gas pipeline pipes on Afghan territory. The construction of a section of the TAPI gas pipeline from the border of Turkmenistan to the Afghan city of Herat will mark the beginning of gas supplies to Afghanistan and increase investor confidence in the project, Amanov said.
Pakistan intends to include TAPI in the foreign investment protection act to attract international creditors. The agreement between the host country and Pakistan is at the final stage, he said.
Currently, the Turkmengaz state concern is negotiating with foreign oil and gas companies to attract participation in the implementation of TAPI and the development of one of the world's largest gas fields, Galkynysh, the resource base for the TAPI project, Amanov said.
The TAPI main gas pipeline, with a design capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year, will run from the Galkynysh gas field in southern Turkmenistan through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar, Pakistani Quetta and Multan to the city of Fazilka in western India. The total length of the gas pipeline will be 1,814 km, 214 km of which go through the territory of Turkmenistan, 774 km through Afghanistan and 826 km through the territory of Pakistan to the border with India.
The project is being implemented by the TAPI Pipeline consortium, 85% of which is owned by Turkmengaz. The Afghan Gas Corporation, the Pakistani Inter State Gas Systems (Private) Limited and the Indian GAIL each have 5% shares in the consortium.
The total cost of the gas pipeline will be $10 billion, preliminary estimates say.
Construction of the Turkmen section of TAPI started in December 2015.
The laying of the Afghan section of the gas pipeline took place on February 18, 2018. Official Kabul announced that it had decided to acquire land for the TAPI gas pipeline project in the fall of 2023, and was ready to begin the practical implementation of the construction of the Afghan section of the gas pipeline.