ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan wanted expeditious completion of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project which is of vital importance for the region.
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 costs. An ADB-funded feasibility study of the project in 2004 was conducted by a British consulting firm PENSPEN. The feasibility study, proposed to lay a 56-inch diameter 1,680 KM pipeline with design capacity of 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per annum (Bcfd) from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan up to Pak-India border.
At a meeting held here at Prime Minister’s House, various senior officers gave their inputs about the project. The PM said Pakistan would be happy to play a positive role in this regard. He added, “We are facing shortage of gas, and this project will help us immensely in meeting the deficit. We all should take this opportunity seriously so that we can fulfill our obligation to our peoples.”
The Prime Minister emphasized that concerned states should take all steps necessary to start the project as soon as possible as its cost would continue to increase as time passes. We have pinned lots of hopes with this project and want it completed as soon as possible, he added. The visiting ministers of the member countries shared the views of Pakistan on this very important project for the region and called this a win-win project for all the countries. The meeting agreed that a consortium leader would soon be finalized.
