News Central Asia
11/17/2004
By

Ashgabat - Hakim Taniwal, Afghan minister of labor and social affairs with additional portfolio for mineral and mining industries, said today in Ashgabat that he sees bright chances for Trans-Afghan Pipeline project, a proposed pipe connection that would pump Turkmen natural gas to Pakistan and possibly India through Afghanistan.

“Security situation in Afghanistan is quite stable now after the elections,” said Taniwal.

Speaking of the audit report of Daulatabat gas field, Taniwal said, “I know from them [Turkmen authorities] it will be ready for the January meeting [of the steering committee],” he told.

Daulatabat gas field of Turkmenistan is one of the biggest in the world. Turkmenistan has promised that first priority from Daulatabat would be given to the Trans-Afghan Pipeline(TAP) although a conduit has been built from Daulatabat to Deryalyk to connect Daulatabat supplies to the Central Asia-Centre pipeline that carries gas to Russia, Ukraine and Europe.

Last week some news stories appeared in the media that Pakistan was reluctant of making any further commitments on TAP unless Turkmenistan provides audit certificate to prove that enough gas is available in Daulatabat to feed the pipe for 30 years or so.

The recent assurance by the Turkmen government that all was well may give some fresh momentum to the project.

Taniwal said that Turkmen arrangements for supply of gas to Gazprom should not affect the TAP project. “I think there is enough gas in Turkmenistan to meet all commitments,” he said.