The Express Tribune: Trans-Caspian pipeline threatens to bury TAPI project

With fears of supply constraints lurking in the mind, Pakistan should consider seeking guarantees from Turkmenistan for ensuring promised gas flow under the TAPI pipeline project before Ashgabat makes any commitment to Europe for a trans-Caspian gas pipeline, officials say.

Growing Chinese interest in gas purchase from Turkmenistan and construction of the trans-Caspian pipeline may block gas flow to the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) pipeline because Ashgabat will not be able to meet demand of both sides, background discussions with officials reveal.

Experts increasingly voice fears that the European project will bury the TAPI scheme, considered a last hope for Pakistan to buy cheap gas and ease its energy crisis after the apparent shelving of the Iran-Pakistan (IP) pipeline in the face of US pressure.

Earlier this year, Turkmenistan once again got engaged in contact with the US and the European Union as well as multinational companies to push ahead with the trans-Caspian pipeline with an aim to export gas to the lucrative EU market through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Turkey. MORE