Kazakhstan ready to join TAPI pipeline project with 30% stake, awaiting response from participants
ASTANA. Nov 25 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan has submitted a proposal to future project participants to join the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project with a stake up to 30%, though has not yet received a response, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said.
"On our part, we have sent a corresponding official request to potential shareholders in the TAPI pipeline, with the possibility of Kazakhstan's participation [with a stake] up to 30%. We are awaiting a response. There have been no responses thus far. We have raised [the issue] at a high-level meeting, and we are awaiting a response from the Turkmen side. There is nothing yet [on when a response would be given]," Akkenzhenov told reporters on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Kazakh presidential residence, where the Turkmen president is currently on a state visit.
As reported, Kazakhstan at the Kazakhstan-Afghanistan business forum in October 2024 expressed interest in participating in constructing the TAPI pipeline, and initiated negotiations with Turkmenistan.
"If a Kazakh company joins the project, then it would open new prospects for cooperation between our countries in the gas sector," Akkenzhenov said at the time.
The proposed TAPI pipeline will extend 1,814 kilometers at 214 km through Turkmenistan, 774 km via Afghanistan, and 826 km through Pakistan to India's border.
With an annual design capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of gas, the pipeline will begin at the giant Galkynysh field in southern Turkmenistan, with estimated reserves of 27.4 trillion cubic meters, pass through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar, the Pakistani cities of Quetta and Multan, and end in Fazilka in western India.
The majority shareholder of the project operator, TAPI Pipeline Company Limited, is Turkmengaz state concern with an 85% stake. Afghan Gas Corporation, Pakistan's Inter State Gas Systems (Private) Limited, and India's GAIL each hold 5% stakes in the consortium.
Preliminary estimates put the total cost of the project at $10 billion.
