Pakistan-Afghan-Turkmen Gas Pipeline Feasibility Report Presented
Pakistan Petroleum Nouraiz Shakoor said on Tuesday the feasibility report of the 1600-kilometer pipeline will be finalized after necessary consultations and amendments proposed by the concerned countries during the next six months, Shakoor told a press conference in Islamabad after the two-day meeting of Steering Committee in Islamabad.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan, Yolly Gurbanmuradov and the Minister for Mines and Industry of Afghanistan, Mehfooz Nedai were also present on the occasion.
Shakoor said that the Steering Committee has finalized the southern Afghan route of the pipeline.
This pipeline will begin from Daulatabad in Turkmenistan and will be linked up with the Pakistan's main gas pipeline system at Multan in Punjab via Kandahar.
It was decided in the meeting that Turkmenistan provide certification of Daudlatabad gas field reservoirs and Pakistan submit its gas demand while Afghanistan should provide assurance regarding the security of the pipeline in the next meeting of the committee which will be held in Islamabad next year.
He said all the concerned countries have also signed a protocol in this regard today.
Shakoor said it is expected that the project will be completed at a cost of 3.5 billion dollars by 2010. He said Pakistan's gas reservoirs are depleting and it has been assumed that after 2010 Pakistan will need two hundred million to 2.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day, which will be met through this project. Answering a question, the minister said, "We have also offered India to extend the pipeline to that country however, we have not received any response from India.”
He said the committee has formed a high-level working group consisting of two members from each country, which will coordinate with Asian Development Bank to implement the project.
He said various countries and leading companies have expressed their willingness to form consortium for this project.