Initial Afghan Tapi Work Done: Report

Initial work on the Afghan section of the $10bn four-nation Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) pipeline project is almost complete, local Afghan media reported October 16 citing an official.

“Preliminary work on Tapi is 95% complete. Implementation phase will likely begin by the end of this year or at the beginning of next year,” 1TvNews quoted Abdul Rahman Mujahid, director of Tapi project in Afghanistan, as saying at an event in Kabul.

Tapi's total length is planned to be 1,814 km, of which 214 km run through Turkmenistan, 774 km through Afghanistan, and 826 km through Pakistan to the border with India. Work on the Afghan section of the Tapi pipeline started late February with a groundbreaking ceremony taking place in Herat city. The pipeline aims to transfer 33bn m³/yr of gas from Turkmenistan’s giant Galkynysh gas field to participating countries by 2020. However, many believe the pipeline may not be built, given the security situation in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, unidentified gunmen killed five mine-clearance workers in Afghanistan.  

Another challenge that the project faces is that both India and Pakistan are increasing relying on LNG to meet domestic gas demand, reducing the need for Turkmen gas.