Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 7
By Viktoriya Zhavoronkova and Emil Ismayilov - Trend:
Azerbaijani company ASPI Consulting Engineers, Inc. will be involved in the preparation of a feasibility study of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan- India (TAPI) gas pipeline, a source in the Azerbaijani oil and gas market told Trend on Feb. 6.
The tender results and supervision over construction work have been summed up, according to the source.
The alliance which includes Azerbaijani ASPI Consulting Engineers, Inc. won the tender, the source said.
"Preparation is underway to begin the operations," a source added. "The source did not name the details of the terms and conditions of the work."
ASPI Company has experience in Afghanistan and in particular participated in several projects in Afghanistan, implemented through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The TAPI pipe length can reach 1735 kilometres. It is expected that the main line must stretch from the largest gas field in Turkmenistan, Galkynysh, through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar and reach its final destination at the settlement of Fazilka, located on the border between India and Pakistan.
The design capacity of TAPI is 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year.
At this stage, negotiations on the formation of the consortium, finance and security and in particular through Afghanistan, are underway.
The observers believe that the TAPI implementation can contribute to the restoration of Afghanistan as it will create jobs and provide the country with a guaranteed income for transit.
Currently, work is underway to establish the TAPI consortium.
Translated by NH
Edited by SM