ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The long-awaited transnational gas pipelines dubbed as Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) project being kicked off next month will complete in four years.
According to an official source the project would flow 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcfd) to the stakeholders including Afghanistan (500 MMcfd), Pakistan (1,325 MMcfd) and India (1,325 MMcfd).
The official said since the government was fully aware of growing energy needs with gas demand swelling to over six billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) and depleting hydrocarbon resources, a multi-pronged strategy was being pursued to tackle the energy shortage in the country.
He said the government had to work out the issues for import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to meet energy needs besides opting for long-term projects such as Pakistan-Iran gas pipelines, TAPI projects and many measures on domestic front.
Replying to a question, he said the major gas reserves of the country were depleting fast, necessitating to explore more options and resources to meet the country’s gas demand.
Elaborating the point, he said the government was fully geared up to jumpstart work on the project and get 750 mmcfd per day, once sanctions on Iran were either relaxed or lifted altogether.
Answering a question, the official said refining industry was not performing optimally with all of them going outdated and were operating at low capacity, resulting in additional import of petroleum products.
Meanwhile, the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is paying a state visit to Turkmenistan next month based on the invitation of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov.
The invitation was given to President Ghani on Monday in a telephonic conversation with President Berdymuhamedov to take part in the opening ceremony of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline.
Source: APP/DND
