Islamabad: Pakistan and Turkmenistan have signed a Joint Implementation Plan (JIP) to accelerate work on the TAPI Gas Pipeline project.
Pakistan has suggested Turkmenistan lay down some portion of the gas line up to Herat in Afghanistan to ensure the ownership from the Taliban regime in Kabul, which will also help move the project, The News reported.
The government of Pakistan also invited Turkmenistan to explore gas connectivity from the Chaman border to Gwadar and build LNG terminals at Gwadar, which would expand supplies to Europe and global LNG markets.
The TAPI – Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India — gas pipeline project aims to bring natural gas from the Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan to Pakistan through Afghanistan via a 56-inch diameter pipeline.
The Galkynysh gas field is located in the eastern region of Turkmenistan, The News reported.
The proposed route supply source is Herat, Kandahar, Chaman, Zhob, DG Khan, Multan and Fazilika with a pipeline length of 1,849 km.
It will transport up to 33 billion cubic meters (bcm) (average 3.2 BCFD) of natural gas per year over a 30-year period where Pakistan’s off-take will be 1.35 BCFD.
The JIP seeks the constitution of a Senior Coordination Committee (SCC) to expedite and oversee the project activities, The News reported.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday expressed confidence that the gas pipeline project would usher in an era of regional cooperation, development and prosperity.
Addressing the signing ceremony of the TAPI JIP, Sharif said the project was of utmost importance for the development of the four countries and the region.
He said the project would help the region to secure natural gas with concrete assurances and mutually-agreed terms and conditions.
He mentioned that in view of the global situation, energy had become a real challenge, The News reported.