Tapi Pipe Project Moves Forward

Pakistan and Turkmenistan signed a host governmental agreement on the $10bn four-nation Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) pipeline project in Islamabad March 12.

Minister for petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that Pakistan is committed to the successful implementation of the project, state-owned Radio Pakistan reported. The much-delayed pipeline aims to transfer 33bn m³/yr of gas from Turkmenistan’s giant Galkynysh gas field to participating countries by 2020. However, many believe the security situation in Afghanistan could yet derail the project.

Tapi's is planned to be 1,814 km long, of which 214 km runs 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 started in February, with a groundbreaking ceremony taking place in Herat city. 

A host government contract governs the rights and obligations of a foreign investor and host government concerning the development, construction and operation of a project.