Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 11
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
The construction of the Turkmen section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) interstate gas pipeline project will take two years, the newspaper "Neutral Turkmenistan" reports.
The newspaper said that experts from leading industries in Turkmenistan intend to perform basic work on laying the Turkmen section of the pipeline, along with its arrangement and the establishment of ground support infrastructures, with work expected to continue until December 2018.
The Turkmengaz state concern, which leads the TAPI Pipeline Company Limited joint stock company, and the contractor, the state concern "Turkmennebigazgurlushyk", will carry out the design and construction of the section of the gas pipeline which lies within the country, the newspaper said.
Specialists from the joint-stock company will lead the supervision of the construction, financing, ownership and operation of the pipeline. The pipeline in Turkmenistan will be designed and built at the expense of the Turkmengaz state concern and funds raised from international financial institutions.
Currently, specialists from the Institute of oil and gas, subordinate to Turkmengas JSC, already lead engineering and development work along the route of the future TAPI gas pipeline, the newspaper said.
Thus, technical and geological studies are being carried out from the largest deposit at Galkinish to the border with Afghanistan. In addition, the builders of the TAPI gas pipeline, the state concern "Turkmennebitgazgurlushyk" has built the road that will run along the future route.
Meanwhile, work continues on the analysis and selection of equipment to be installed and used on the linear section of the strategic pipeline and its supporting ground stations.
It is planned that the total length of the TAPI pipeline will be 1,735 kilometers. Some 200 kilometers will pass through the territory of Turkmenistan, 735 kilometers - Afghanistan, 800 kilometers - Pakistan up to Fazilka settlement on the border with India. The annual capacity of the gas pipeline will be 33 billion cubic meters.The gas pipeline is to stretch from the largest Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan.
Solemn groundbreaking ceremony of the TAPI pipeline is scheduled for December 13, 2015.