Kazakhstan Seeks 30% Stake in TAPI Gas Pipeline, Awaits Response from Project Partners

Kazakhstan has formally proposed joining the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project with a 30 per cent stake, though it has not yet received a response from the existing partners.

Kazakh Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said the government has sent official notifications to the project’s current shareholders, The Caspian Post informs via Russian media.

“We have sent an official request to the potential shareholders of the TAPI pipeline regarding Kazakhstan’s possible entry into the project with up to a 30 per cent stake. We are waiting for a reply. So far, there has been no response. We raised this issue at a high-level meeting and now await feedback from the Turkmen side,” Akkenzhenov stated.

He added that Kazakhstan’s involvement would open new prospects for cooperation in the regional gas industry.

The TAPI pipeline, stretching 1,814 kilometers, is one of the region’s most ambitious energy projects. The route includes 214 km through Turkmenistan, 774 km through Afghanistan, and 826 km through Pakistan before reaching the border with India.

With a planned annual capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas, the pipeline will start at Turkmenistan’s massive Galkynysh field, which holds an estimated 27.4 trillion cubic meters of gas. The route will pass through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar, continue through Pakistan’s Quetta and Multan, and terminate in Fazilka, India.

Current shareholders of the TAPI Pipeline Company include Turkmengaz, the Afghan Gas Corporation, Pakistan’s Inter State Gas Systems, and India’s GAIL-each holding a 5 per cent stake.

The overall cost of the project is estimated at $10 billion.