TAPI gas pipeline project inked.

[EjazR]

"but the recent statements from Iran re the Kashmir situation have shown once again that the closeness many have claimed between Iran and India is a figment of some overactive imaginations"

If you look closely at the statements they were more anti-US than anti-India. Iran does not leave any chance to criticise the "Big Satan". Hence the one and only statement from Iran was to do with the anti-US and Quran burning protests.


Ofcourse, this is not to say that Iran and India are best buddies. Iran has very few friends and partnership with India is something that it needs at present. It will work with India where its interests converge trade and some ideas on Afghanistan. Remember the direct competitor for central asian trade to Gwador is Chabahar.


Also, India has repeatedly said that IPI is still on the table and pricing and transit costs are the main issues. I see TAPI operationalising first because this is somthing that has been mooted since the 90s and now has tacit American support. IPI could also be a possibility depending on how quickly Iran can finalise payment details with India. If FM Qureshi is to be believed we will see India joining IPI and signing deals in the near future.

The Oman undersea pipeline is a longterm project. It would probably be restricited to just GCC countries considering the geo-politcal relations that GCC bloc has with Iran. So I am skeptical that it would ever really materialise. Because for it to be feasible you need Central asian and Iranian connection into the Oman grid.

 

[muse]

Asim

See a thread on the china board "China and Energy" - The "I" in TAP (I) has been included specifically at the insistence of the US, it is through these projects that the US seeks to make itself relevant to the region and muscle in on the business opportunities the Chinese and others have built over a long period of time - in a way, you can look upon the military position of the US in Afghanistan as a reminder to those who may have forgotten that the US is serious about taking what it wants.

The game is an integrated Asian energy grid, US wants to be relevant to this idea and Pakistan, to it's own detriment, is to act as the agent of the US.

 

[Star of David]

Thats good............a leverage Pakistan will have over energy starved India...........let the deal go through and let India invest alot of monies into it..............

aage aage dekhe hota hai kya

Pakistan really dpesn't even need this pipeline as suggested by the Pakistan Atomic Agency whereby Pakistan has the second largest coal deposits and there expert analysis shows that it will be cheaper and far better for Pakistan to use this resourse wich will give Pakistan all the energy it needs for 100 years at least..........

Nonetheless, I think we should allow the access into India.......just remember the wording, "We will allow access into India"...........that can have alot of meaning in years to come

Thanks you showed me how a Pakistani currently in Britain doesn't see the implications of coal use in terms of pollution. Can't see the bleak future with usage of such "energy"?

 

[muse]

Gazzi


Actually you are only partially correct - Pakistan does indeed exert great influence on where India is allowed to get energy from -- most anywhere from the gulf, the supplies have to be overland or through the Pakistan EEZ

BUT

India does have the option of drilling in the Arabian sea and Indian ocean - some see this area as very promising and India have good experience and technology - they just need investment.

In this way, they will avoid having to deal with Pakistan - but of course the flip side is that in going this route they would pretty much be forfeiting Central Asia, which of course is OK by Pakistani interests because they would then offer to partner with US interests. US interests would prefer to use Indian partners though.

 

[muse]

Pakistan pushes to get Turkmenistan pipeline moving

* Petroleum minister says govt following agressive timeframe to conclude agreements on this project as early as possible

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will push hard for quick implementation of a long-delayed trans-regional gas pipeline from Turkmenistan, in a bid to ease its mounting energy crisis, the petroleum minister said on Tuesday.

Senior officials of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India on Monday, inked the framework of an agreement to construct the project with an estimated value of $3.3 billion.

The so-called TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India) project would pump natural gas to Pakistan and India through Kandahar.

More energy security could ease pressure on Pakistan’s government, which faces a range of challenges, from a homegrown Taliban insurgency, to what will likely be years of economic pain after summer floods caused billions of dollars in damages. But analysts said the agreement was still at a preliminary stage and that security challenges in Afghanistan and the tensions between India and Pakistan remained an obstacle.

Proposals to build the pipeline have been on the table since the 1990s but war in Afghanistan delayed the project.

“We are following a very, very aggressive timeframe to conclude agreements on this project as early as possible,” Pakistani Petroleum Minister Naveed Qamar said.

“But it’s too early to say when these agreements will be completed and when the project will be implemented. Everything is subject to conclusion of agreements.”

Qamar said a final framework agreement is expected to be signed at a summit of the leaders of the four countries in December.

A pact covering the broad principles of sale and purchase of gas was also signed.

Although some Pakistani energy officials hailed the tentative agreement, analysts say it may just be more wishful thinking.

“It’s an agreement to reach another agreement without any concrete details and until then it cannot be termed as important,” said the Director of Pakistan’s Invest and Finance Securities Ltd Khalid Iqbal Siddiqui “This is not the first time it has happened.”

The planned pipeline would have an initial capacity of 33 billion cubic metres a year and would run for nearly 2,000 km, including 735 km across Afghanistan and another 800 km through Pakistan.

Natural gas to fill the pipeline could be drawn from the massive South Yolotan deposit, currently under development, and the existing Dovletabad field.

Pakistan also hopes a major gas pipeline project from Iran will help it tackle its energy problems.

In March, the two sides signed a deal to build a much-delayed $7.6 billion pipeline pumping Iranian natural gas to Pakistan.

That project may also be fraught with political uncertainties as the United States has been discouraging Pakistan from any deal with Tehran because of its suspected ambitions to build nuclear weapons. reuters

 

[BATMAN]

TAPI Gas pipeline project set to provide 3.2 bln cubic feet gas per annum by 2017

ISLAMABAD, May 29 (APP): Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline Project would be completed by 2017 which would help bringing revolution in the country. According to official documents, TAPI gas pipeline project meant to bring natural gas from the Yoloten/Osman and adjacent gas fields in Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The feasibility study, proposed to lay a 56 inch diameter 1,680 Kilo meter pipeline with design capacity of 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per annum from Turkmenatistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan up to Pak-India border.

The capital cost of the project was originally estimated at US$ 3.3 billion, which has been revised to US$ 7.6 billion 2008, using the current steel and construction cost, says the documents.
Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) was signed by the Head of States of all the member countries during TAPI Summit held at Ashgabat on 11th December 2010.
To a question, official of Ministry said Gas Pipeline framework Agreement (GPFA) was signed by respective petroleum ministers of four countries on 11th December, 2010.
Heads of Agreement (HOA) was signed by heads of respective commercial entities on 19th September 2010, he said.
To another question, he said Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement (GSPA)-Turkmenistan-Pakistan and Turkmenistan-India bilateral GSPAs were signed by the heads of respective commercial entities on 23rd May 2012. On the same day, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on “Long Term Cooperation in Gas Sector”.

 

[Asian.Century]

• Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan Oil and Gas Pipeline should now be half completed.

 

[surya kiran]

• Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan Oil and Gas Pipeline should now be half completed.

Construction has not even begun, my friend.