Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 14
By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:
Currently an effective work is being carried out for realization of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said on the occasion of the Oil and Gas Industry Workers, Energy Engineers and Geologists Day, held on Dec. 14.
"Turkmenistan, which has huge reserves of oil and gas, is known as the world's largest energy resources producer," the head of Turkmen state underscored.
Turkmenistan is aimed at enhancing international cooperation, increasing the volume of hydrocarbon production and creation of a multi-vector system for delivery of energy to global markets, according to Turkmen president's message.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also said that Turkmenistan has implemented several major projects jointly with foreign partners. These projects also include Turkmenistan-China and Turkmenistan-Iran gas pipelines.
"In the context of ever-increasing energy demands in global markets it would be appropriate to highlight the great economic and political importance of the Galkynysh gas field, thanks to which Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world for natural gas reserves," Turkmen leader underscored.
Ashgabat interstate agreement of the member states on commencement of the practical implementation of the TAPI project signed in 2010, serves as the basic document for promotion of this project.
The Turkmen government signed an agreement for the sale and purchase of natural gas with India's GAIL Ltd. and State Gas Systems of Pakistan in May 2012. A corresponding agreement was signed with Afghanistan in July 2013.
A service agreement on TAPI pipeline was signed in Ashgabat on Nov.20. According to the agreement, Asian Development Bank (ADB) was appointed as the transactional advisor.
At this stage, the work on TAPI consortium formation is underway.
The Turkmen media previously stressed that during the meetings of authorized representatives of four countries and the ADB, the heads of such companies as Chevron, Exxon Mobil, BP, BG Group, RWE, Petronas and others have read TAPI terms and expressed the intention of participating there.
The design capacity of TAPI is 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. The estimated length reaches 1,735 kilometres. It is expected that the pipeline will extend from the largest gas field in Turkmenistan 'Galkhynysh' through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandagar to the Fazilka settlement on the Pakistani-Indian border.
At present, Turkmenistan exports this kind of fuel to the markets in China, the CIS and Iran. Besides South Asia's markets, it is considering the variants of laying a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Europe via the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Turkmenistan's largest deposits are concentrated in the Mary oblast (province) in the east of the country. The total resources of Galkynysh with the nearby fields were estimated by local geologists and British GCA company within 26.2 trillion cubic meters.
The ongoing exploration work at Turkmenistan's largest oil field - Galkynysh testifies to more gas reserves there, Turkmen Minister of Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources, Muhametnur Halylov said at the oil and gas conference in Ashgabat in November 2013.
Translated by N.H. and E.A.