TAPI gas pipeline project inked

[Sher Malang]

ASHGABAT: Pakistan on Saturday joined Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and India in signing the long-awaited over $7.6 billion dollars gas pipeline project to help it meet its sharply rising industrial and domestic demands.



The "inter-governmental agreement" (IGA) and the "Gas sales and purchase agreement" (GSPA) were signed by President Asif Ali Zardari, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Indian Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and President of the Asian Development Bank Haruhiko Kuroda here at a local hotel, almost 15 years after the project was envisioned. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not attend the summit as he was away to attend the India-EU summit at Brussels.

The 1,640 km long Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline backed by the Asian Development Bank will bring 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (bcfd) from Turkmenistan's gas fields to Multan in Central Pakistan and end in the northwestern Indian town of Fazilka.

Construction of the pipeline is likely to commence soon and will be completed by 2013-14. The project would help overcome Pakistan's growing energy crisis that has caused electricity shortages and protests across the country.

President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement to the media said gas connectivity through the project would add to regional prosperity by increasing synergies of economies, and will reinforce the institutional framework for expanding cooperation with each other.

He assured complete security and full support to the multi-billion dollar gas pipeline project and said it would change the development paradigm of the entire region.

Source: TAPI gas pipeline project inked - GEO.tv

[Sher Malang]

TAPI Gas Pipeline Contract Signed



President Karzai signed the TAPI gas pipeline contract in Turkmenistan on Saturday, a statement released by the President's Office says

The contract was officially signed this after by the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, President Qurban Quli Mohammadov of Tukmenistan, President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan and the Indian Oil and Gas Minister.


The statement said that 33 billion cubic meters of gas will annually flow through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India.


According to the President's Office said the contract was signed after the 9th meeting held among the four countries in Ashgabat, and the pipline construction requires 8 billion dollars.


"Afghanistan will get 1.8 million cubic meters of gas in a period of two years but will increase to 5.1 billion cubic meters afterwards, and hundreds of families residing near the pipeline will benefit from the project," Deputy spokesman for President Karzai, Siamak Herawi told TOLOnews.


Mr Herawi says Afghanistan will earn upto 400 million dollars throught transit, after the project is successfully implemented.


The TAPI gas pipline is considered as one of the major economic projects in the region.


According to the project planning, six gas stations will be constructed across the pipeline and beside transit; Afghanistan could fulfill its gas needs from the project.

Source: TAPI Gas Pipeline Contract Signed