TAPI gas pipeline: Pakistan suggests alternate route

[Naveed Yaseen]

ZAFAR BHUTTA
ISLAMABAD (August 02 2009): In the wake of stepped-up tactics by the Taliban in Afghanistan, Pakistan has proposed to Turkmenistan an alternate route in western Afghanistan to finalise the much-delayed Turkmenistan- Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, a senior official in the Ministry of Petroleum said on Saturday.

"Alternate western route in the militancy-plagued Afghanistan is under discussion to lay down the TAPI gas pipeline without further delay. The route will be between Afghanistan-Iran and Pakistan-Iran and then again it will enter Balochistan," official said.

He said that the Afghanistan government was in favour of that alternate western route for laying down the gas pipeline. "The TAPI pipeline will pass near Rakho Deeq copper mines project in Balochistan's Chaghai area and will reach the Gwadar port," he added.

Taliban militants are active elsewhere with special reference to the lawless Pak-Afghan border region and the earlier proposed pipeline was feared to be damaged. Pakistan has conveyed to Turkmenistan that more than 72 percent insurgency-related cases by the extremists elements are being taking place on weekly basis on the earlier proposed TAPI gas pipeline route where it links Herat to Kandahar.

"Afghan authorities have also agreed with the Pakistan's point of view that the western route for TAPI gas pipeline is viable and it has been de-mined to make it protected in line with security point of view," the official added.

Another official in the Petroleum Ministry said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue: "If the proposed alternative western route is accepted by Turkmenistan, then the length of gas pipeline will reduce to 1,490 kilometres instead of earlier estimated length 1680 kilometres on Herat-Kindhar route."

The official said the alternative western route was feasible and would be acceptable to India, and added Pakistan was set to establish liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Gwadar port, providing a golden opportunity for India to import LNG.

Turkmenistan did not so far come up with any tangible response on the proposed route. "Once the four countries are agreed on timeframe, modalities and other parameters, then an independent consultant will be hired under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to convert the project into a bankable report," he said.

Turkmenistan has said that it has gas reserves of eight trillion cubic meters, but Pakistan and India want certification about the gas reserves before taking any further step on the TAPI gas pipeline project. Under the proposed project, Turkmenistan will supply 3.2 bcfd gas, which would be shared by Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.

Earlier, the project steering committee meeting on TAPI was held in Islamabad on April 21-24, 2008 and Turkmenistan pledged to submit the audit report on certification of gas reserves by September 30, 2008. The ADB representative in a meeting of the steering committee had expressed reservation over the delay of the project.

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