In a renewed effort to advance the long-discussed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, Turkmenistan has initiated the construction of a key segment of the pipeline in Afghanistan. Originally proposed over 30 years ago, the project aims to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh fields to the Indian subcontinent, passing through Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Pipeline Inauguration Ceremony
The inauguration ceremony took place at the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan border and was attended by Afghanistan’s Prime Minister, Mohammad Hassan Akhund, and Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, chairman of Turkmenistan’s People’s Council. Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, son of Gurbanguly, participated via video link from the capital, Ashgabat.
The 150-kilometre section of the pipeline, fully financed by Turkmenistan, will connect the border town of Serhetabat to Herat, Afghanistan’s third-largest city. Once complete, the entire TAPI project is expected to transport up to 33 billion cubic meters of gas annually from the Galkynysh fields, spanning approximately 1,600 kilometers through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India.
Strategic Route
The pipeline’s route will pass through several Afghan provinces, including Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand, and Kandahar, following the Kandahar-Herat Highway. In Pakistan, it will extend through Quetta and Multan, ultimately reaching Fazilka, near the India-Pakistan border.
Turkmenistan’s Commitment and Afghanistan’s Role
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in 2022 that Turkmenistan would bear the full cost of the pipeline’s construction on Afghan territory. At the end of August, a “host country agreement” was signed between the Turkmen-led TAPI Pipeline Company and the Afghan government, although further details were not disclosed.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum expects the pipeline section to be completed in two to three years. The ministry has also stated that the project will create thousands of jobs and help reduce gas prices, boosting the local economy.
Challenges and Progress
Despite no binding gas purchase agreements from Pakistan or India, Turkmenistan began constructing its 210-kilometre portion of the pipeline in 2015, completing it by 2019.
Turkmenistan’s government has used the pipeline ceremony as an opportunity to emphasize the vast reserves at the Galkynysh fields. According to GaffneyCline, a US-based consultancy, the field contains approximately 27 trillion cubic meters of recoverable gas, enough to sustain production for over 50 years. Turkmen authorities are currently in discussions with international investors to develop additional phases of the Galkynysh fields.
Diversifying Export Routes
Alongside the TAPI project, Turkmenistan is also progressing on the East-West trunkline, which is set to transport up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Galkynysh to the Caspian Sea. This pipeline is critical to Turkmenistan’s long-term goal of constructing a 300-kilometre subsea pipeline across the Caspian to Azerbaijan, potentially enabling gas exports to European markets.
Looking Ahead
As Turkmenistan continues to seek new export routes and investment, the successful completion of the TAPI pipeline could significantly enhance the country’s role as a major global gas supplier, providing a much-needed energy boost to South Asia while opening up new opportunities for economic growth in the region.