Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, June 10
By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:
Construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline is carried out in accordance with the approved schedule, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.
This issue was discussed at the Turkmen government meeting.
Construction of the Turkmen section of TAPI started in December 2015, and the Afghan section - in February this year.
Turkmen gas supplied via TAPI pipeline may reach Pakistan during 2019, Muhammetmyrat Amanov, chief executive officer of TAPI Pipeline Company Ltd Consortium, said in May at the International Gas Congress in Avaza.
The potential costs of the TAPI project range from $7 billion to $10 billion.
Being the leader of the international consortium TAPI Pipeline Company Limited, the State Concern "Turkmengas" - having a controlling stake - performs the functions of the main financier and manager of the project. The consortium also includes the Afghan Gas Corporation, Pakistan’s Inter State Gas Systems (Private) Limited Company and India’s GAIL Company.
The consortium continues active negotiations with all interested parties with the participation of the Asian Development Bank. Various options for participation in the project are being explored, such as participation in the company's share, project financing, financing through international development banks and through export credit agencies from around the world.
The total length of the pipeline, with a capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year will be 1840 kilometers till the village of Fazilka on the border with India.
The TAPI gas pipeline will export fuel from the Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan, the second largest in the world.
