Launching of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline construction

On December 13, in Mary velayat, the startup was given to the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline and the third-phase industrial facilities of the “Galkynysh” field commercial development, which would initially provide a resource base for the new gas trunk line. The grand ceremony was attended by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov and the distinguished high-rank guests who had arrived in our country the day before - President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, and Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari.

The practical implementation phase of the TAPI gas pipeline project started in December 2010 in the course of the “Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India” Summit in Ashgabat, which resulted in signing the related Intergovernmental Agreement. As of now, all the preparatory work has been completed, including the conclusion of the Turkmen gas purchase/sale contracts; the project feasibility studies have been finalized; “TAPI Ltd.” Consortium has been established with the “Turkmengas” State Concern as its leader.

The economic feasibility of the project, which is designed to meet high demand for the natural gas in the South Asian countries, highlights the generally-admitted fact (recognized also by the authoritative international experts) the availability in our country of enormous “blue fuel” resources of global significance. This enables Turkmenistan to guarantee long-term gas deliveries in any direction, including the within-said route. 

The “Galkynysh” gas field will become a resource base for the new pipeline. In the frames of the field’s first-phase development accomplished by the “Turkmengas” State Concern, a complex of plants (with annual capacity of 30 BCM of tank gas) was put into operation in 2013 in association with foreign partners. In 2014, construction started at the field of the second-phase facilities (with a projected capacity of 30 BCM of tank gas).

The eminent guests were heartily welcomed by Cabinet Deputies Chairman, leaders of Mejlis, law enforcement bodies, ministries and agencies, public organizations. Among the ceremony participants were the heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited to our country, representatives of large foreign firms and companies, local and foreign mass media.

Addressing to the ceremony attendees, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has stressed particular importance and historic significance of the event – launching of construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and the third-phase industrial facilities of the “Galkynysh” field commercial development, which is one of the world’s largest gas fields.

As the head of state emphasized, guided by the legal neutral status, our country is steadily strengthening the relations with other countries, and is successfully carrying out large international projects. The TAPI gas pipeline project serves as an eloquent example.

The head of state expressed gratitude to the Asian Development Bank, which had always strongly supported the project and rendered great assistance in conducting expert appraisals and feasibility studies. The ADB’s support, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said, has become an essential element in starting up construction of the pipeline.

The Turkmen leader has also extended words of gratitude to the diplomats, specialists, experts, representatives of international organizations – all those, who took part in preparation of the project and the project-associated documents.

Today, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov continued, we are beginning construction of the third-phase facilities at the “Galkynysh” gas field, which would feed the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline.

The new pipeline project is implemented in accordance with the intergovernmental agreements made between the four participating countries. The TAPI pipeline will be approximately 1,814 kilometers long. The 212-km section of the pipeline will run through the territory of our country; later it will reach the cities of Afghanistan –Herat and Kandahar, via Pakistan – the cities of Quetta and Multan, and then it will reach the settlement of Fazilka in India. The projected annual capacity of the pipeline is 33 BCM. Commissioning of the project, including the auxiliary surface infrastructure, is scheduled for December 2019.

In the course of the TAPI Steering Committee and Technical Working Group sessions held in Ashgabat, Islamabad, Kabul and New Delhi during the grandiose project preparation phase, a number of agreements were reached on stepping up the project. This testifies to great interest of the participating countries in finishing the pipeline construction in the shortest possible space of time, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said.

The head of state placed special accent on the fact that the “Turkmengas” State Concern would be in charge of the works connected with funding the international project and its operation. With its over-50-year experience in the natural gas production and deliveries, pipeline construction, the Concern had been unanimously appointed the leader of “TAPI Pipeline Company Limited” joint-stock company.

The new project will create some 12,000 jobs, and will contribute to the living standards improvement of the population. Thus, the TAPI project, the nation’s leader summed up, will facilitate strengthening of friendly relations, political-economic partnership between our countries. The head of state congratulated everyone on the startup of the project, having wished progress and prosperity to the participating countries. 

In his speech, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has emphasized the historic importance of the event –  launching of construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline.

The project implementation will encourage further socio-economic development of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India; new cities and settlements will be built, thousands of new jobs will be created, the head of Afghanistan said.

It is worth noting that Turkmenistan’s neutrality provides favorable conditions for advancing good neighborly relations, maintaining peace and security, which serve as a vital factor of active cooperation advancement between the region’s countries. In this connection, President of Afghanistan once again congratulated the Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov and the Turkmen people on the 20th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s neutrality.

Addressing the Presidents of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Vice President of the Republic of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari expressed gratitude for the historic opportunity itself, for the valuable and well-timed initiative for the benefit of all the peoples of the region – the startup of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline construction.

It is highly symbolic that we give startup to that grand initiative in Mary, which is located along the Silk Road. The TAPI project is the first step towards the building of a single economic system from the Caspian Sea to the Indian Ocean coasts, the Vice President of India underlined.

Welcoming the ceremony attendees, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mohammad Nawaz Sharif offered his congratulations on the significant event - the startup of the TAPI gas pipeline construction.

The high guest expressed confidence that the TAPI project realization would not only ensure a transit corridor for the Central Asian countries, but would also open up new vistas for many countries.

To the applause of the people assembled, the Presidents of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Vice President of India signed a message for our descendants and placed it in a special capsule presented to them by children.

The head of Turkmen state and the eminent guests proceeded to the venue for a groundbreaking ceremony of the third-phase facilities at the “Galkynysh” gas field. Then came a historic moment which was met with exaltation of the ceremony participants: the President of Turkmenistan and the high-ranking guests placed the capsule in the foundation and filled it up with few shovels of concrete, thus giving a symbolic start to construction.

Then, having pressed a special button, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Prime Minister of Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, and Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari launched construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. The event participants with great interest watched welding of the first joint – a symbolic “gold section” – of the new gas main.

After welding was completed, the head of Turkmen state and the high guests put their signatures on the pipe of the future energy gas main.

In continuation of the ceremony, the Memorandum on power engineering was signed between Turkmenistan, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The TAPI Shareholders’ Agreement was also signed between the “Turkmengas” State Concern, “Afghangas Enterprise”, “Interstate Gas Systems (Private) Limited”, and “Gail (India) Limited”. 

 

State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH)