Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, July 16
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
The Uzbek state company Uzbekneftegaz is interested in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline construction project, Trend reports with reference to Afghan media.
“The Uzbek side expressed interest in investing in the project, as well as in direct participation in the construction of the gas pipeline in Afghanistan,” said Abdul Qadir Mutfi, spokesperson to the ministry of mines and petroleum of Afghanistan.
The decision on the choice of investors will be made by TAPI Pipeline Company Ltd, where the leader is the Turkmengas State Concern, which has the controlling stake and acts as the main financier and project manager. The consortium also includes the Afghan Gas Corporation, Pakistan’s Inter State Gas Systems (Private) Limited and Indian GAIL.
Three main areas for participation by potential foreign investors in the project are considered: trade, supply of pipe and gas equipment; financing through provision of loans; and investment in the TAPI project and in development of the big Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan.
The total length of the pipeline, with a capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year, will be 1,840 kilometers. The length of the Turkmen section will be 205 kilometers.
The energy bridge will then pass through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar (816 kilometers), through the cities of Quetta and Multan across Pakistani territory (819 kilometers), and reach the settlement of Fazilka in India.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has recently invited Uzbek business circles to participate in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project (TAPI). The construction of the Turkmen section was launched in December 2015.