Will TAPI Pipeline Project Be Completed by 2019 amid India-Pakistan Tiff?

The Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline, TAPI Pipeline Project is being developed by the Galkynysh – TAPI Pipeline Company. The TAPI Pipeline Route Map is well defined; it will transport natural gas from the Galkynysh Gas Field in Turkmenistan to India via Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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Pakistan Delays Groundbreaking of TAPI Pipeline Project

The groundbreaking for the 780-kilometre long portion of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India, TAPI Pipeline Project has been put on hold for few months deliberately. The TAPI Pipeline project in Pakistan has been delayed due to the present government’s five-year term ending on 31st May 2018, since those intimately affiliated with the TAPI project want to get this job done ideally during the tenure of the interim government, according to a senior official of Inter State Gas Systems of Pakistan.

“We wanted groundbreaking of our part to be held in the ongoing month as Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi too was interested. Later we thought to postpone or put it on hold for some time and get this performed during the interim government setup: Pakistan Officials

TAPI Pipeline Route

The 1,814-kilometer TAPI pipeline will pass through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. About 816 kilometres of the TAPI pipeline route will be through Afghanistan. The pipeline passes through Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan.

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The TAPI pipeline will be developed beside the Kandahar–Herat Highway which will then connect to Quetta and Multan in Pakistan. The concluding destination of the TAPI pipeline will be the Indian town of Fazilka in the Punjab region.

Turkmenistan sits on the world’s fourth-largest gas reserves but lost a major buyer in Russia after Russian energy giant Gazprom wound down imports of Turkmen gas and then ceased purchases completely in 2016.

Taliban Backs TAPI Pipeline Project

Meanwhile, in a rare declaration, the Afghan Taliban pledged to support and protect the TAPI pipeline project in areas under its control. In a statement emailed to media organizations some time back, a Taliban spokesperson stated that this project was planned during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and said the group will ensure its security in all areas.

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India’s commitment to the pipeline was initially questioned over its relationship with Pakistan and her easy-access to LNG markets (liquified natural gas). However, all nations, including India are committed towards the successful implementation of TAPI Pipeline Project.

Nations that are part Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI Pipeline Project) recently advocated an acceleration plan in an attempt to speed up the construction time and make it ready before the deadline. The targeted time for completing the project was 2020, but now under the acceleration plan, the project should be ready by 2019.