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Turkmenistan’s chance to enter Europe

Oil&Gas Materials 18 March 2014 16:11 (UTC +04:00)
While tension between Russia and the West over Ukraine is growing, smaller countries may profit from such a situation. One such country is Turkmenistan, which is looking to diversify its energy export routes

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 18,
By Viktoriya Piriyeva - Trend:

While tension between Russia and the West over Ukraine is growing, smaller countries may profit from such a situation. One such country is Turkmenistan, which is looking to diversify its energy export routes.

Russia, unfortunately for Europe, remains the main gas supplier to the region, providing 30 percent of the EU's gas consumption. "Diversification of gas supplies" is a long-term aspired goal of many Europeans. Until now Europe was unable to release itself from this Russian bear hug in spite of new gas initiatives, such as the recent final agreement on the Southern Gas corridor.

Turkmenistan's indirect participation

One may ask, how Ashgabat can participate in this political game being in the heart of Central Asia, and furthermore - profit from it? Turkmenistan, a country with the world's fourth biggest gas deposits, has long sought to diversify its gas export routes. Currently, the country has two potential new export routes - one to India by means of the anticipated Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan - India gas pipeline, and the other one is to Europe, via the potential Trans Caspian gas pipeline project.

Short or long - which is better?
The two pipelines are important and theoretically both are possible for Turkmenistan, they have been discussed for a long time, but for some reasons they are treading water. In both cases there are certain snags, rendering it harder for Turkmenistan to implement both projects.

TAPI will be a rather long pipeline, passing through the territory of two countries, not counting the starting and finishing country. A great number of threats along its planned route remains a major problem for the pipeline's construction. Who will invest money in a project, which will pass through unstable Afghanistan with constant terrorist attacks and two countries that remain in constant contradiction - Pakistan and India?
By comparison, the Trans Caspian pipeline covers a much shorter distance and involves only the countries of departure and arrival, as it passes under the Caspian Sea, from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan.

All the required infrastructure to bring gas to the coast from the point of extraction in Turkmenistan is almost ready. The pipeline, where Turkmen gas will flow after Azerbaijan to reach Europe, is also agreed and is likely to be constructed. But one potential obstacle appears to be the unresolved status of the Caspian Sea, that can be used as an excuse for delays and setbacks.

Now, Europe seems to be more that ever before interested in non-Russian gas so, Turkmenistan should use this favorable energy climate in the EU to push forwards its national strategic interests and finally start exporting its gas there.

The appearance of new gas suppliers to Europe is seen by Russia as competition, a country with large gas deposits, such as Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan should profit from this favourable energy climate, to push forwards its national strategic interests and finally start exporting its gas there.

The appearance of new gas suppliers to Europe is seen by Russia as competition, but should a bear be afraid of smaller animals?

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