TAPI gas pipeline project vital for Pakistan

Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Feb.8 / Trend H.Hasanov / Implementation of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) project is vital for Pakistan experiencing difficulties with shortage of natural gas, the Pakistani mass media outlets quoted Pakistani water and energy minister Naveed Qamar as saying on Wednesday. "Price of gas received under this project will be lower than under the similar gas pipeline from Iran," Daily Times newspaper quotes the minister as satying. He noted the project is likely to be implemented by 2016. The basic document for the project's promotion will be Ashgabat interstate agreement of the member states on start of initial implementation of TAPI project signed in late 2010. The gas pipeline's designed capacity is 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The buyers are gas companies of Pakistan and India. The project is promoted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Besides Dovletabad deposit, the largest 'Southern Yeloten - Osman' (Galkynysh) deposit developed in Turkmenistan may also become the raw materials base. The length of the pipeline may be 1,735 kilometers. Official Ashgabat said recently agreement in principle with Pakistan on price of the Turkmen gas was reached and the agreement will be signed soon. Price of transit through the territory of Afghanistan remains unresolved issue. At this stage, the principle of forming an international consortium is being discussed, and the problem with the financing of the project is being solved. Russia began to show its interest for the project at a high level, the U.S. supports its implementation and opposes a similar project from Iran to Pakistan.