Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Dec. 16 / Trend H.Hasanov /
Turkmenistan launched gas exports to China, Iran and Russia in 2010. According to some estimates, the total sales may come to about 25-30 billion cubic meters this year. Turkmenistan this year mulls projects on the additional gas pipelines to Russia (the Caspian Sea - via Kazakhstan), Europe (Nabucco - via the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan) and India (Trans-Afghanistan via Pakistan).
BP reported that Turkmenistan occupies the fourth place in the world for natural gas reserves after Russia, Iran and Qatar. The largest fields are located in the east of the country at"Southern Yoloten - Osman". Its resources are valued by local geologists to be at 22 trillion cubic meters.
The current state of Turkmen gas transportation projects:
DISCUSSED PROJECTS
Caspian Pipeline (Turkmenistan-Russia)
The Caspian gas pipeline's design capacity, running along the coast of the Caspian Sea from Turkmenistan to Russia via Kazakhstan, is 30 billion cubic meters per year. Gazprom is the buyer. The company signed an agreement with Turkmenistan for supplies over 25 years in 2003. The presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan signed the agreement on its construction in May 2007.
Project Status
The preparation of a feasibility study has been suspended due to geo-economic changes.
After high-level talks in October 2010, a high-ranking representative of Russia stated that an agreement was reached to freeze the project. In turn, Turkmenistan stated that no negotiations were held.
Trans-Caspian Pipeline (Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Europe)
The design capacity of the 300-kilometer-Trans-Caspian pipeline through the Caspian seabed between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan is linked to Europe's demand for Turkmen gas.
Access to the European market goes through Azerbaijan, where the Nabucco project starts (covering the territory of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Austria). The realization of the Nabucco project could begin in 2011, with a maximum capacity of 31 billion cubic meters of gas being expected at the cost of 7.9 billion euros.
Potential buyers into the Nabucco consortium are Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Turkish Botas, Bulgaria's Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz and the German group RWE.
Project Status
There are no agreements on implementing the Trans-Caspian pipeline. In 2009, Ashgabat stated its readiness to supply the Nabucco project with an annual volume of up to 10 billion cubic meters of gas.
Ashgabat recently stated that Turkmenistan firmly believes that pipeline projects under the Caspian seabed should be implemented only with the consent of those countries, through which sections of these pipelines will pass. Recently, Ashgabat announced its readiness to supply 40 billion cubic meters of gas per year for Nabucco, including resources from Yoloten and the Turkmen section of the Caspian Sea where the Malaysian Petronas operates.
Trans-Afghan Pipeline (Turkmenistan-India)
The length of the TAPI could reach 1,680 kilometers, with a design capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. The route is planned from the Turkmen Dovletabat fields through Herat and Kandahar (Afghanistan), via the districts of Quetta (Pakistan), to Fazlaka on the India-Pakistan border.
Project Status
The project is at an initial stage of implementation. An intergovernmental agreement between the State Parties to the TAPI natural gas pipeline was signed at Ashgabat Summit in December 2010. The energy ministers of the four countries have signed the framework agreement. The unstable situation in the Afghanistan remains a serious obstacle to the project, but Kabul and Islamabad confirmed that they will be able to secure the route.
The Asian Development Bank promotes the project. In 2010 it was decided that the raw materials may be supplied by the "Southern Yoloten - Osman" field, in addition to the Dovlatabad field. The length of the pipe can reach 1,735 kilometers.
Italy's leading Eni oil and gas company recently stated it desires to transport gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India. Negotiations will be held to conclude agreements "on purchase- sale", transit, creating a consortium and security.
