Tapi Faces Delay in Afghanistan: Press

The $10bn four-nation Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) pipeline is facing delays in Afghanistan caused by the land acquisition process, Khaama Press News Agency reported January 27.

According to the country’s ministry of mines and petroleum, certain land acquisition documents are yet to be signed to initiate the project, and so construction work will be delayed by another six months or so.

Tapi has a planned length of 1,814 km, of which 214 km will run through Turkmenistan, 774 km through Afghanistan, and 826 km through Pakistan to the border with India. Work on the Afghan section of the Tapi pipeline formally began in February 2018, with a groundbreaking ceremony taking place in Herat city. 

The much-delayed pipeline aims to transfer 33bn m³/yr of gas from Turkmenistan’s giant Galkynysh gas field to participating countries. However, the project is yet to reach a final investment decision (FID), because of financing difficulties and security concerns in Afghanistan.