Kazakhstan, Astana / corr. Trend K.Konirova / The Minister of Energy Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan will be constructing their section of the Caspian gas pipeline independently.
The length of the Caspian gas pipeline is 1,000 km, with more than 400 km through the territory of Turkmenistan and more than 500 km through Kazakhstan. Izmuhambetov stressed that a pipeline via this route already exists, but as it has not been in operation for over the last 30 years, its technical capacity does not currently exceed 4 bln cu.m of gas per year while the design capacity of the pipeline is 10 bln cu.m. "Last year less than 500mln cu.m of gas was transported via this pipeline. Therefore, a new Caspian pipeline is intended to be constructed via the same corridor," the Minister stated.
Last week the Presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan signed a declaration on the construction of the Caspian pipeline. According to Izmuhambetov, receiving gas from Turkmenistan is cheaper for Kazakhstan than it is to construct a gas pipeline from the western oil and gas regions to south regions of the Republic. "Recently the issue of Kazakhstan's participation in the construction of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China was resolved practically. If the national oil and gas company KazMunayGaz participates in exploring and producing in Turkmenistan on the coast of Amudary near the border with Uzbekistan, an opportunity will occur to supply the south regions of the Republic at the expense of this gas," Izmuhambetov said.
"If the gas is transported via the planned gas pipeline Beyen-Bozoy-Shalkar-Samsonovka (from west to south), its cost will amount to $170-200 per thousand cu.m, which will not be acceptable for the population. If we deliver Turkmen gas, it will be twice as cheap for us," he stressed.
South of Kazakhstan always incurs problems with the gas supply by totally depending upon the supply from Uzbekistan. According to the Kazakh Minister, the Government is attempting to find an economically beneficial means of delivery to resolve the issue of supplying gas to the southern regions of the Republic.