TAPI - The Times Of Central Asia

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Afghanistan Advances TAPI Gas Pipeline Construction as Kazakhstan Explores Participation

Afghanistan has made significant progress in constructing the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. According to Ariana News, citing the Herat provincial governor’s office, approximately six kilometers of pipeline have already been laid since work began last month. Herat Governor Maulana Islam Jar assured project representatives of his full support, stating that TAPI will play a crucial role in strengthening the economy and promoting regional stability. Afghanistan's section of the pipeline is expected to take approximately two years to complete and represents a significant milestone for the broader project. TAPI is designed to connect Central Asia’s vast gas reserves with the rapidly growing energy markets of South Asia. During a recent meeting, TAPI’s general director in Afghanistan, Abdullah Yoof, updated Governor Jar on construction progress and outlined further plans for the project, including job creation and infrastructure development in Herat province. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is actively exploring the possibility of joining the TAPI pipeline. The country’s Ministry of Energy has confirmed ongoing negotiations between the national gas company, QazaqGaz, and Turkmengaz, which owns an 85% stake in TAPI Pipeline Company Limited. However, officials have refrained from disclosing details, citing the confidentiality of the discussions. Kazakhstan’s interest in the project was first officially announced by Deputy Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhanov. Speaking at the Kazakhstan-Afghanistan Business Forum in October 2024, he highlighted that participation in TAPI could provide Kazakhstan with access to new markets, including Pakistan and India while attracting additional investment to the country’s gas sector. The TAPI pipeline, spanning over 1,800 kilometers, will traverse: Turkmenistan – 214 kilometers Afghanistan – 774 kilometers Pakistan – 826 kilometers The pipeline will terminate in India, providing a crucial energy link between Central and South Asia.

Afghanistan TAPI Export of Natural Gas Natural gas Gas Pipelines

First Kilometers of TAPI Gas Pipeline Completed in Afghanistan

The first three kilometers of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline have been successfully laid in Afghanistan, according to Mohammed Murad Amanov, the executive director of TAPI Pipeline Company Ltd. Amanov stated that the construction is progressing rapidly, raising hopes for the timely completion of the project. Deputy Governor of Herat Province, Nakibullah Ayub, visited the construction site and confirmed that local authorities are fully prepared to support the project's swift advancement. So far, 3.4 kilometers of the pipeline route in Afghanistan have been prepared, aligning with the established schedule. The Afghan section of the TAPI pipeline, which spans 821 kilometers, officially began construction in September 2024. To date, technical surveys have been completed on 153 kilometers of the route, and the initial three kilometers of pipeline were laid within four months. TAPI is a landmark regional energy project that aims to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gas fields to consumers in Pakistan and India, passing through Afghanistan. The project is expected to enhance economic stability in the region and attract significant foreign investment. Economic experts have highlighted the strategic importance of the TAPI pipeline for Afghanistan. Analyst Mohammad Asif Stanekzai remarked that the project could boost Afghanistan’s economic credibility and pave the way for increased foreign capital inflows. Additionally, Afghanistan is projected to earn approximately $400 million annually in transit fees. Last week, Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Hidayatullah Badri, held discussions in Kabul with Mohammed Murad Amanov about the progress of the TAPI pipeline and strategies to expedite the remaining work.

Gas Pipelines Afghanistan TAPI Export of Natural Gas Natural gas

Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to Accelerate TAPI Gas Pipeline Project

During a working visit to Afghanistan on December 15, Turkmenistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashid Meredov, met with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, to review the progress of major energy, transport, and infrastructure projects involving Turkmenistan in Afghanistan, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry reported. The ministers inspected the ongoing construction of the Afghan section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline and agreed to accelerate its implementation, according to TOLOnews. Turkmenistan has already completed its section of the TAPI pipeline, designed to transport 33 billion cubic meters of Turkmen natural gas annually to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The $10 billion TAPI project will span 1,814 kilometers, with 816 kilometers crossing Afghanistan. The pipeline will help meet Afghanistan’s domestic gas needs while generating approximately $450 million annually in transit fees. The pipeline will extend from Afghanistan to Quetta and Multan in Pakistan before reaching Fazilka in India. As part of the visit, the Turkmen foreign minister also inspected the construction of a fiber-optic communication line and a warehouse complex at the dry port of Turgundi railway station, located in Afghanistan’s northern Herat Province. Meredov further assessed progress on the Turgundi-Sanabar section of the Turgundi-Herat railroad. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that construction of the Afghan section of the TAPI pipeline officially began on September 11, 2024. Once operational, the TAPI pipeline will enable Turkmenistan — currently exporting natural gas primarily to China — to diversify its export routes. The project aligns with Turkmenistan’s broader plans to deliver gas across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Europe.

Gas Pipelines Export of Natural Gas Economic Growth TAPI Export/Import

Construction of TAPI Gas Pipeline Begins in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has commenced the practical phase of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, one of the region’s most ambitious infrastructure initiatives. Local media report that essential materials and equipment have been delivered to the border areas between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, enabling work to start on the Afghan section of the pipeline. The TAPI gas pipeline will span 1,814 kilometers, with 774 kilometers crossing Afghanistan. Once operational, the pipeline will transport 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, significantly boosting economic development across the region. Afghanistan is set to receive 5 billion cubic meters of gas each year from the pipeline and create over 12,000 jobs for its citizens. Economists estimate that the project could generate approximately $1 billion annually in revenue for Afghanistan. Discussions around the TAPI pipeline began in the early 2000s, and in 2013, an agreement was signed to form a consortium. The Turkmen state-owned company Turkmengaz holds an 85% stake, while Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India each hold 5% shares. Construction on the Turkmenistan section of the pipeline began in 2015 and has since been completed. Afghanistan is the next country to advance the project, with work on the section from Serhetabat to Herat initiated in September this year.

Pipeline Gas Export of Natural Gas Pakistan TAPI Afghanistan

Work Begins on Afghan Section of the TAPI Gas Pipeline

Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have now begun construction of the Afghan section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline. To mark the launch of work on the pipeline’s Serhetabat-Herat section, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the Prime Minister of the Taliban-led Afghan government, attended a ceremony at a checkpoint on the Turkmen-Afghan border on September 11. The staged installation of the TAPI pipeline, already completed in Turkmenistan, will eventually transfer 33 billion cubic meters of Turkmen natural gas annually to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. At an estimated cost of $10 billion, the TAPI pipeline will span 1,814 kilometers. With 816 kilometers running through Afghanistan, the project will meet the country's gas needs, generating around $450 million in annual transit fees, before continuing on to Quetta and Multan in Pakistan and Fazilka in India. Gas-rich Turkmenistan currently exports natural gas to China and Russia but once completed, the TAPI project will enable the country to diversify its export routes and help realize far-reaching plans to transport its gas across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Europe. Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund stated that the commencement of work on the TAPI project on Afghan soil would strengthen relations between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, whilst speaking from Ashgabat via videoconferencing, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, announced, "The commencement of the TAPI project [on the Afghan territory] and other projects is beneficial not only for Afghanistan but also for the countries in the region." In addition to TAPI, the ceremony opened a 177-meter-long railway bridge at the Turkmen-Afghan border on Serhetabat-Turgundi railroad, launched the construction of the Serhetabat-Herat (Afghanistan) fiber-optic communication line, a warehouse complex in the dry port of the Turgundi railway station at the Turkmen-Afghan border, and the Turgundi-Sanabar section of the Turgundi-Herat railway. The event also marked the commission of the Nur-el-Jahad power plant in Afghanistan's Herat province, as part of the first phase of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) power transmission line project.

Oil & Gas TAPI

Turkmenistan Discusses TAPI Pipeline with Officials from UAE, Pakistan

The Turkmenistan-UAE business forum was held in Turkmenistan on June 25. According to the portal Chronicles of Turkmenistan, the country has signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on cooperation in developing the third stage of the Galkinish field, a potential primary supply source through the TAPI gas pipeline. This gas pipeline is essential for the country from an economic point of view, both at the national level and for transit countries and consumers. Turkmenistan's president Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and his father, the former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov -- who is now the chairman of the country's People's Council -- discussed with Pakistan's minister for industries Rana Tanveer Hussain the construction of the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline project, and the TAP (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan) route. The discussions covered high-level visits between the two countries, trade and economic cooperation, transport communications, transit and trade collaboration, parliamentary cooperation, and people-to-people relations.