TAPI gains support from U.S.
By Aynur Karimova
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline project, with a proposed capacity of transporting 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, is gaining more support day-by-day.
This time this support came from the U.S., as Daniel Rosenblum, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asia, has said at the Oil and Gas Conference in Ashgabat that his country supports the 1,735-kilometer TAPI project, the groundbreaking ceremony of which will be launched on December 13, 2015, Turkmen Oil and Gas and Mineral Resources Ministry reported.
“The United Stated government welcomes the commitment that all four TAPI countries have made to the project,” he said. “This project, if realized, would further diversify Turkmenistan’s energy market options, provide revenue and jobs for Afghanistan at a critical time in its economic development, and bring clean fuel to the growing economies of Pakistan and India, which have large demands for natural gas.”
TAPI, which will extend from Galkynysh field in Turkmenistan through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar, and along to its final point at a settlement along the Pakistani-Indian border, is seen as an opportunity to pave the way for stability in Afghanistan and could contribute to the rehabilitation of the war-torn country.
The implementation of the project will also strengthen Turkmenistan's independence, and as a result its gas supplies to world markets will significantly increase.
It is expected that the implementation of the TAPI pipeline project would represent an enormous breakthrough for Turkmenistan's capabilities as an international energy player.
China increases gas imports from Turkmenistan
Energy-rich Turkmenistan, which has the fourth largest proven gas reserves in the world, is actively implementing an energy strategy aimed at increasing exports of the blue fuel and diversifying its supply routes to the largest global markets, where the demand for energy resources is growing.
Being one of the key players in the gas market of the Caspian Sea region and Central Asia, Turkmenistan produces about 70-80 billion cubic meters of gas a year. It possesses some 17 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, with some estimates placing that figure upwards of 25 or 26 trillion cubic meters.
Energy-hunger China is one of main destinations where Turkmenistan's blue fuel is delivered.
As of early November, 2015, the accumulate volume of exported gas from Turkmenistan to China reached 121 billion cubic meters
The China National Petroleum Corporation reported that 82 billion cubic meters of abovementioned volume was produced by Turkmengas state concern and 39 billion cubic meters - in Bagtiyarlyk contract area.
The agreement regarding Bagtiyarlyk contract area with production capacity of 13 billion cubic meters per year was signed July 17, 2007.
The company said that with the development of gas field and
commissioning of gas processing plant No 2, the production capacity
of project in Bagtiyarlyk contract area has been increasing with
years.
The CNPC has started purchasing gas from this region since 2009
after the commissioning of first two branches (A and B) from
Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The third branch
(C) running on this route has been commissioned recently.
Currently, work is underway to construct the additional fourth
branch (D) on the new route through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and
Kyrgyzstan.
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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova
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