Turkmenistan, Afghanistan Discuss TAPI Construction Issues

Turkmenistan and Afghan delegation held talks Monday in the context of further development of energy cooperation which included the issue of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline.

The issue discussed revolved around the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline.

A design capacity of TAPI is 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. Buyers are Pakistani and Indian gas companies. The project significantly progressed in 2011. The basic document to advance TAPI project is an inter-state agreement to start implementation of TAPI, signed at a high level in Ashgabat in December 2010. Instability in transit Afghanistan remains as a serious obstacle, but Kabul states that it can ensure the safety of the route. The length of the pipeline may hit 1,735 km.

The Asian Development Bank actively promotes this project funding the preparation of its feasibility study. The source of raw materials in addition to the Dovletabad field will be developed "Southern Yoloten - Osman" field. At present, the principle of forming an international consortium is under discussions and issue regarding funding of the project is being solved.