Turkmenistan to Work With Japan to Further Develop Galkynysh

Turkmenistan has signed a framework agreement with leading Japanese corporations for developing the giant Galkynysh gas field, according to Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper.

State owned TurkmenGaz met with representatives of Mitsubishi, Chiyoda, Sojits, Itochu and JGC to discuss diversification of supplies and, in particular, the expansion of gas production and processing in the super-giant Galkynysh which will be the main resource base for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, the newspaper reported last week. 

The government said the move is necessary in order to ensure the necessary volumes of gas for the TAPI pipeline project.

Earlier this year, TurkmenGaz was selected as the TAPI pipeline consortium leader. Last year, gas companies of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India established a company that will build, own and operate the planned 1,800-kilometer TAPI natural gas pipeline. The pipeline will export up to 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India over 30 years.

Work on the project is expected to start by year end.