New Delhi to host next meeting of participants in TAPI project

NEW DELHI, July 5 (Itar-Tass) -- The Indian capital will host the next meeting of participants in the project aimed at the construction of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan and then to India (so-called TAPI project).

This decision was promulgated at the 19th World Petroleum Congress in
Madrid on Thursday. The meeting will be held in October 2008.

In April 2008, the four parties of that project signed preliminary
agreements, thus confirming their intention to take part in that colossal
undertaking.

A 1,680-kilometre-long pipeline will pump natural gas from
Turkmenistan's Dauletabad deposit to Pakistan and India.

The project has been being implemented with the assistance of the
United States and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It is estimated at 7.6
billion U.S. dollars.

During the October meeting, the participants will discuss gas prices,
implementation of construction tasks, and coordinate the route of the gas
pipeline.
According to plans, about 90 million cubic metres of natural gas will
be transported through the TAPI pipeline every day.
Of that amount, Afghanistan will receive five million cubic metres
within the first two years, and the country's share will increase to 14
million cubic metres starting from the third year of the TAPI operation.
As for the rest amount of fuel, Pakistan and India will go halves.
Currently, India faced a growing gas shortage for both industrial and
municipal purposes.
The Indian daily gas consumption is more than 90 million cubic metres
of natural gas, including imported liquefied natural gas.
At the same time, the potential demand inside the country is estimated
at 170 million cubic metres. Besides, if the current economic growth rate
keeps at the level of 7-8 percent, the domestic gas demand will soar to
400 million cubic metres per day by 2025.