The four state gas companies of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India have established a company that will build, own and operate the planned 1,800-kilometer Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline. State Concern “Turkmengas”, Afghan Gas Enterprise, Inter State Gas Systems (Private) Limited, and GAIL (India) Limited own equal shares of the company, the Asian Development Bank said.
“Establishment of the TAPI pipeline company is a key milestone in the development of the pipeline. It is a tangible sign of transformational cooperation among the parties that presages the enhanced energy security, business prospects, and overall peace and stability in the region promised by the pipeline,” said Klaus Gerhaeusser, Director General of ADB’s Central and West Asia Department.
ADB was appointed the transaction advisor for the TAPI gas pipeline project in November 2013. In that role, ADB advised on the establishment of the TAPI pipeline company as an integral part of the larger goal of identifying and selecting a commercial consortium leader to spearhead the construction and operation of the pipeline. When selected, the commercial consortium leader will take a substantial stake in the company.
The TAPI pipeline will export up to 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India over 30 years. Turkmenistan has the world’s fourth-largest proven gas reserves, and the pipeline will allow the landlocked country to diversify its gas export markets to the southeast. Turkmen gas in turn will provide a key new source of fuel for southern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India.
