Pak, Turkmenistan agree to expedite energy projects

[Devil Soul]

Pakistan, Turkmenistan agree to expedite energy projects
APP
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and president of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov on Monday agreed on expediting projects on energy cooperation and bilateral trade.

In a meeting held at the Presidency, the two leaders expressed the resolve to expedite the $7.6 billion Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, which was inked last December in Ashgabat.

The two sides agreed to start direct air-links between Pakistan and Turkmenistan which would develop a trade corridor in the region.

The meeting also covered major issues of regional and international interest.

Both sides expressed strong commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations on principles of equality with an objective to work for region’s peace and stability.

The two presidents stressed the need for international cooperation to combat terrorism, illicit trafficking of weapons and narcotics, illegal migration and other crimes.

President Zardari underlined the positive role of Joint Inter-governmental Turkmen Pakistan Commission and strengthening of trade and economic relations between the two countries.

He said the TAPI pipeline would provide energy security and would ensure economic stability in the region.

He said Turkmenistan was an important member of the Central Asian Republics and could play a vital role in bridging the region with the rest of the world.

The Turkmen president said his country was keen to upgrade bilateral ties with Pakistan in economic and trade fields.

He invited President Zardari to visit Turkmenistan.

 

[VelocuR]

Key milestone reached on TAPI gas pipeline

ISLAMABAD: In a step towards materialisation of the $7.6 billion proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, Pakistan and Turkmenistan initiated the Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA) on Monday, which is likely to operationalise the multi-nation project by 2016.

The two countries signed a total of five agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) at the Prime Minister’s House on Monday.

Visiting Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who earlier held a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari, witnessed the agreements’ signing ceremony along with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

GSPA is a follow-up of the “inter-governmental agreement” (IGA) signed by President Zardari, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, President Berdimuhamedov and Indian Petroleum Minister Murli Deora in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, on December 11, last year.

The agreement on gas sales purchase relating to the TAPI gas pipeline project was signed by Managing Director of Inter-State Gas System Mubeen Saulat and Chairman of Turkmenistan Gas Trade Concern Amanali Hanalyev.

What is the TAPI gas pipeline project?

Under the proposed project, the 1,680 kilometre-long gas pipeline, backed by the Asian Development Bank, will bring 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (bcfd) from Turkmenistan’s gas fields to Multan and end at the northwestern Indian town of Fazilka.

Under the agreement, Afghanistan’s share will be 500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), Pakistan’s share will be 1,325 mmcfd and India’s 1,325 mmcfd.

The demand for natural gas in Pakistan has increased by almost 10 per cent annually from 2000-01 to 2007-08, reaching around 3,774 mmcfd, against the total production of 3,200 mmcfd.

According to the petroleum ministry, the demand in 2008-09 soared to 4,731 mmcfd cubic while production was 4,528 mmcfd cubic, indicating a shortfall of 203 mmcfd.

The TAPI project was initially designed to provide Turkmen gas to Pakistan through Afghanistan in an agreement signed in Islamabad in May 2002, and was known as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline project. India was invited to join in, in April 2008.

Pakistan’s cabinet gave approval to the Gas Pipeline Framework Agreement (GPFA) for the TAPI gas pipeline project in its meeting on October 27, 2010.

According to the initial plan, the gas pipeline was to run alongside the Herat-Kandahar Highway in Afghanistan and pass through Chaman, Zhob, DG Khan and Multan in Pakistan.

Turkmenistan has the fourth largest proven gas reserves in the world.

Zardari- Berdimuhamedov meeting

During the meeting between President Zardari and President Berdimuhamedov, the two sides agreed to start direct air-links. Briefing the media, Presidential Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that President Zardari expressed satisfaction over the current progress of the TAPI gas pipeline project and called for ‘early realisation’ of the project.

Babar added that the president also proposed that the two countries may enter into a currency swap agreement, preferential tariff arrangement and a free trade agreement to further enhance bilateral trade and investment ties.

The other four agreements and MoUs signed by the two sides were related to cooperation between the countries’ foreign ministries, agreement on cooperation between the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) and the Turkmen News State Service, an MoU on cooperation between Pakistan’s Ministry of commerce and Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan and an MoU on cultural cooperation.

According to the PM House, during his meeting with Gilani, the Turkmen president said that his country was ready to export 1,000 MW of electricity to Pakistan, as well as gas from a newly discovered gas field, which shares geographical proximity with Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2011.

I lived in Turkmenistan almost 8 years. They are energy riched, cultured and loving Nation. They respect Pakistanis and they are very close to Pakistani culture. Just need to work with them to establish good business and trade relations. It wll be great if we could make road and rail link alongwith the gas pipeline. It will help secure this line as well.

I will request my govt. to focus on regional relations with neighboring countries.

From
Noman Ahsan Malik
Abu Dhabi

-----------------
Obama discussed with Canada about pipelines agreements during APEC summit Hawaii while can't TAPI do same thing? How hypocrisy.

Canadian pipeline delay won't stop tar sands

 

[Pakistanisage]

We should work with both TAPI and IPC Projects. It is good to have multiple sources to cover risks and promote a competitive environment so that NOBODY takes Pakistan for granted. This will teach IRAN to respect Pakistan and refrain from stabbing Pakistan in the back.

 

[patna_ke_presley]

it is obvious that India won't join TAPI , it should be TAP instead, india is already planning to get it via Iran-Oman-India undersea pipeline.

 

[Devil Soul]

Gas agreement signed with Turkmenistan
Syed Irfan Raza | Front Page | From the Newspaper

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkmenistan signed on Monday five agreements and memoranda of understanding to boost cooperation in the fields of trade, energy, media and culture.

One of the agreements relates to the $7.6 billion Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project under which Pakistan will get 1.3 billion cubic feet per day of gas. The TAPI accord is a follow-up to an inter-government agreement signed by Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and India in December last year.

Monday’s agreements were signed during a visit by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan who had arrived here earlier in the day to a red carpet welcome.

The signing ceremony was held at the Prime Minister’s House.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Turkmen minister Rashid Meredov signed an MoU on cooperation between the two foreign ministries and Information Firdous Ashiq Awan and Turkmen Minister for Culture Gulmurad Muradov an agreement on cooperation between APP and Turkmen News State Service.

The agreement on gas sales and purchase under the TAPI gas pipeline was signed by Inter-State Gas Systems’ managing director Mubeen Saulat and Turkmenistan Gas Trade Concern’s chairman Amanali Hanalyev.

Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Turkmen Minister for Trade and Foreign Economic Relations Byar Abayev signed an accord on cooperation between the two ministries.

An MoU on cultural cooperation was signed by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani and Turkmen Culture Minister Gulmurad Muradov.

During an earlier meeting at the Presidency, President Asif Ali Zardari and President Berdimuhamedov agreed to expedite work on energy projects and increase bilateral trade. They also agreed to set up direct air links to develop a trade corridor in the region.

President Berdimuhamedov termed his visit a ‘landmark event’ and said it would give a fresh impetus to bilateral relations.

The $7.6 billion TAPI project will take Turkmen gas through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India.

“Turkmenistan is an important member of the Central Asian Republics and can play a vital role in bridging the region with the rest of the world,” President Zardari said.

The Turkmen president said his country was keen to upgrade its economic and trade ties with Pakistan. He invited Mr Zardari to visit Turkmenistan.

During their meeting at the Prime Minister’s House, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and the Turkmen president agreed to strengthen relations through increased cooperation in diverse fields.

They said that the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) should hold regular meetings to explore avenues for boosting cooperation in various fields.

“The JMC will be assigned the task to give impetus to relations in the fields of construction, agro-based industries, investment and trade and technology for the benefit of people of the two countries,” Prime Minister Gilani said.

He said the two countries were strategic partners and Pakistan could provide Turkmenistan corridors over land and sea routes. “Pakistan supports the energy corridor — TAPI — and also wants to import 1,000MW electricity from Turkmenistan.”

The Turkmen president said his country was ready to export electricity and gas from a newly-discovered gas field having geographical proximity with Pakistan.

The two sides agreed that their foreign ministers would meet regularly and expert-level meetings would be held to devise operational strategies and find ways of liberalising the visa regime between the two countries.

Mr Gilani offered assistance in the field of information technology and said he would soon send the IT secretary to Turkmenistan to discuss the matter. He said a senior minister would visit Turkmenistan to discuss matters pertaining to export and manufacturing of cement.

The Turkmen president proposed to hold an investment forum in Ashkabad.

Chairmen of the Board of Investment and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan will visit Turkmenistan to explore avenues of greater cooperation in different sectors.
Gas agreement signed with Turkmenistan | Newspaper | DAWN.COM

 

[mjnaushad]

We are expediting this from so many years on papers.... I dont know when i'll see practical work.....

 

[Doctor09]

we should start work on this quickly because our energy crises are getting worse

---------- Post added at 12:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:17 PM ----------

We are expediting this from so many years on papers.... I dont know when i'll see practical work.....

i agree with you that now something practically should be done

 

[PakShaheen79]

Turkmenistan, Pakistan sign gas deal

Turkmenistan and Pakistan have signed a joint declaration on the purchase and sales of gas via the gas pipeline Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) in Islamabad, Trend reports.

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov had a meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Gillani.

The TAPI project is one of the key factors for Pakistani economic growth, industrial and infrastructure development. The project is supported by the Asian Development Bank which finances the feasibility studies. The basic document for TAPI realization was signed in Ashkhabad in December 2010.

The pipeline will be over 1700 km long with a capacity of 33 billion cubic meters annually. The project is worth $7-8 billion.

Besides the gas field of Dovletabad, the pipeline will use resources of Yeloten, one of the world's largest reserves with 21.2 trillion cubic meters of gas.

Turkmenistan, Pakistan sign gas deal | Vestnik Kavkaza

 

[53fd]

I guess this is part of the strategy of isolating Iran further

 

[Devil Soul]

Turkmenistan agrees on gas price with Pakistan: sources
Reuters (34 minutes ago) Today
ASHGABAT: Turkmenistan has agreed with Pakistan on the price of gas it plans to send via an ambitious pipeline from its prospective natural gas fields through Afghanistan, two government sources in the Central Asian republic told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Turkmen government sources, requesting anonymity, declined to give details of the price and did not comment on whether volumes had also been agreed.

One of the sources said that the two countries had yet to agree with Afghanistan on a transit price for the gas.

Turkmenistan, which sits on the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves, wants to build the trans-Afghan pipeline as part of its plans to diversify sales from Soviet-era master Russia to energy-hungry markets in Asia and Europe.

It aims to supply natural gas from its South Iolotan field, the world’s second-largest, to Pakistan and India. The idea of the pipeline, known as Tapi, was first raised in the mid-1990s, but construction has yet to begin.

The proposed 1,700 kilometres pipeline could carry one trillion cubic metres of Turkmen gas over a 30-year period, Turkmen Oil and Gas Minister Bayramgeldy Nedirov said this month, which would work out at 33 billion cubic metres a year.

But the route, particularly the 735 kilometres Afghan leg, presents significant security challenges and will require Pakistan and India to agree on volumes and price.

Participants must also secure funding for the project.

State-owned newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan reported on Tuesday that President Kurbanguly Berdymukhameov had signed a joint declaration with Pakistan on the sale and purchase of gas via the Tapi pipeline.

The newspaper reported that Berdymukhamedov, whose word is final in Turkmenistan, had agreed the deal during a visit to Islamabad on Monday, where he met President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Razi Gilani.

Price negotiations with India, the final country on the pipeline route, are being conducted separately.

Asked about the content of the Islamabad declaration, the government source said: “We have already agreed on the price. The agreement is prepared. The contract is prepared. Only some procedural issues remain.”

The second government source said that, while Turkmenistan and Pakistan had in principle agreed a price, a question mark remained over the transit price via Afghanistan.

Turkmenistan’s policy is to sell its gas at the border, while Pakistan planned to buy the Turkmen gas at its own border with Afghanistan, the second source said.

Pakistan and India, which would consume most of the gas supplied via the pipeline, have previously said they were close to signing a supply deal with Turkmenistan.

An intergovernmental agreement signed in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat in December contained no specific provisions for security, volumes or gas prices.

Turkmenistan envisages that gas for the pipeline would be supplied by its South Iolotan field, ranked by British auditor Gaffney, Cline & Associates last month as the second-largest in the world behind Iran’s South Pars deposit.

The auditor said South Iolotan contained between 13.1 trillion and 21.2 trillion cubic metres of natural gas.

 

[Devil Soul]

Gas deal worth $7.6 billion signed with Turkmenistan
(Our Correspondent)

16 November 2011 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Turkmenistan have signed five agreements and memoranda of understanding to boost cooperation in the fields of trade, energy, media and culture.
One of the agreements relates to the $7.6 billion Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project under which Pakistan will get 1.3 billion cubic feet per day of gas. The TAPI accord is a follow-up to an inter-government agreement signed by Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and India in December last year.

Monday’s agreements were signed during a visit by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan.

During an earlier meeting at the Presidency, President Asif Ali Zardari and President Berdimuhamedov agreed to expedite work on energy projects and increase bilateral trade. They also agreed to set up direct air links to develop a trade corridor in the region.President Berdimuhamedov termed his visit a ‘landmark event’ and said it would give a fresh impetus to bilateral relations.

The $7.6 billion TAPI project will take Turkmen gas through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. “Turkmenistan is an important member of the Central Asian Republics and can play a vital role in bridging the region with the rest of the world,” President Zardari said.

The Turkmen president said his country was keen to upgrade its economic and trade ties with Pakistan.

He invited Zardari to visit Turkmenistan. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani speaking on the occasion said the two countries were strategic partners and Pakistan could provide Turkmenistan corridors over land and sea routes. “Pakistan supports the energy corridor — TAPI — and also wants to import 1,000MW electricity from Turkmenistan.”

The two sides agreed that their foreign ministers would meet regularly and expert-level meetings would be held to devise operational strategies and find ways of liberalising the visa regime between the two countries.

Gilani offered assistance in the field of information technology and said he would soon send the IT secretary to Turkmenistan to discuss the matter.

He said a senior minister would visit Turkmenistan to discuss matters pertaining to export and manufacturing of cement.

news@khaleejtimes.com

 

[kawaraj]

we need to have a Governingment to make it done.

 

[Omar1984]

I guess this is part of the strategy of isolating Iran further

Pakistan should get the gas from Iran, get the gas from Turkmenistan, and also tap the gas reserves in Pakistan.

Global and regional powers will compete for these gas reserves and this century will see many battles over natural resources so its important for Pakistan to be energy sufficent by the end of this decade and ensure that Pakistan is energy sufficient for atleast 500 years.

 

[Omar1984]

Pakistan, Turkmenistan move closer to materialization of US 7.6 bln TAPI project

ISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (APP): Pakistan on Monday initialed the Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA) in a historic step towards the finalisation of the US $7.6 billion dollars gas pipeline project to fuel Pakistan’s growing domestic and industrial needs from the Turkmen gasfields.Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow of Turkmenistan witnessed the signing ceremony here at the PM House that would help operationalisation of the project by its deadline of 2016.The agreement is a follow-up to the “inter-governmental agreement” (IGA) signed by President Asif Ali Zardari, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Indian Petroleum Minister Murli Deora in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, on Dec 11 last year.

This would be followed by the signing of ‘Heads of Agreement’ and Transportation and Transit accords , by the end of the this year, Petroleum Secretary Ejaz Chaudhry told APP.

He said the natural gas from Turkmenistan and Iran would help the country meet around 70 per cent of its shortfall.

The 1,680 km long Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline backed by the Asian Development Bank will bring 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (bcfd) from Turkmenistan’s gas fields to Multan and end at the northwestern Indian town of Fazilka.

Sources at the Petroleum Ministry, without getting into the specifics said, under the agreement Pakistan was likely to get gas around 30 per cent less than the price of the furnace and crude oil prices.

“We have got a good deal, in line with the international gas pricing agreements,” a senior official of the Ministry said.

Under the agreement Afghanistan’s share would be 500 million cubic feet per day (Mmcfd), Pakistan 1,325 Mmcfd and India 1,325 Mmcfd.

Secretary Petroleum Ejaz Chaudhry, when asked about the reports of slow progress on the US 7.5 billion dollars Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, strongly dispelled the impression and said the project was heading as per the targets set.

“On the contrary we are planning to have it up and running by July 2014, much before the December 2014 deadline,” the Secretary Petroleum said. He said construction of the 2,775-kilometer long pipeline was likely to start by March next year. He said around 900 km work on the Iranian side had been completed, with around 200 km long still remaining.

The 48-inch diameter gas pipeline will traverse through Balochistan, Sindh, Khuzdar and Multan and will initially have a capacity of 22 billion cm annually, expected to increase to 55 billion cm. It will provide 65 pe cent gas to Sui Northern, while 35 per cent will be pumped into the Sui Southern network.

The demand for natural gas in Pakistan has increased by almost 10 percent annually from 2000-01 to 2007-08, reaching around 3,774 MMCFD, against the total production of 3,200 MMCFD. According to the Ministry of Petroleum, the demand in 2008-09 soared to 4,731 mmft cubic while production was 4,528 mmft cubic, indicating a shortfall of 203 MMCFD.

The TAPI project was initially designed to provide Turkmen gas to Pakistan through the volatile Afghanistan in an agreement signed in May 2002 in Islamabad and was known as Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline project. India was later invited to join in April 2008.

The four countries signed the framework of an agreement to construct the gigantic pipeline pumping natural gas to South Asia on September 20.

Pakistan’s federal cabinet gave approval to the Gas Pipeline Framework Agreement (GPFA) of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- Pakistan -India (TAPI) gas pipeline project in its meeting on Oct 27, 2010.

Pakistan has sought guarantees of gas supply from Turkmenistan and proposed a route that closely follows the Afghan-Iran and Pakistan-Iran borders and is shorter and safer.

Under the agreement, the four nations will commit to provide government support, including security for the pipeline.

Construction of the pipeline is likely to commence soon and will be completed by 2013-14. The project will help overcome Pakistan’s growing energy crisis that has caused electricity shortages and protests across the country.

According to the initial plan, the gas pipeline was to run alongside the Herat-Kandahar Highway in Afghanistan and pass through Chamman-Zhob-DG Khan-Multan in Pakistan.

The project will not only bring millions of dollars in transit fee for Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also create jobs during and after the construction.

The TAPI pipeline project was also part of the discussions at high-level donor meetings in 2006 and 2010 and was included in Afghanistan’s 2008 National Development Strategy.

The G8 Foreign Ministers endorsed the project this year at Gatineau, Quebec and approved the new initiative to facilitate joint infrastructure projects identified by Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Turkmenistan has the fourth largest proven reserves in the world. According to International Energy Outlook 2010, published by the US energy Information Administration, the world’s top reserves of gas are 6.609 trillion cubic feet.

The top countries holding the biggest world reserves are Russia, with 25.4 percent or 1.680 trillion cubic feet (tcf), followed by Iran (15.8 percent or 1.046 tcf), Qatar (13.6 percent or 899 tcf), Turkmenistan (4 percent or 265 tcf) and Saudi Arabia (4 percent or 263 tcf).



Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - Pakistan, Turkmenistan move closer to materialization of US 7.6 bln TAPI project