ISLAMABAD – China is exploring building a spur from Pakistan’s territoryonce the multi-country TAPI natural gas pipeline project begins operating,a Pakistani official said, with the financial close of the project’s firstphase expected next month.
Originating at the giant Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan, the $9.6billion TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India) pipelineinvolves the four countries’ own energy companies, and would carry 33billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas a year.
Turkmenistan is building the TAPI pipeline to diversify its gas exports,which have mostly gone to China. But the project has suffered lengthydelays due to difficulties obtaining financing and the security risks ofbuilding a pipeline through war-torn Afghanistan.
Mobin Saulat, the chief executive officer of Pakistan’s state-owned InterState Gas Systems (ISGS), told Reuters that Chinese officials have showngrowing interest in building a spur from Pakistan and the line could act asan alternative to Beijing’s plans to build a fourth China-to-Turkmenistanpipeline.
“With this channel, there is a possibility they don’t have to do anotherline and they can off-take from this pipeline which is passing throughPakistan,” Saulat said.
A China-to-Turkmenistan line has to cross several Central Asian mountainranges and Saulat said it would be cheaper and easier for China to build aline from inside Pakistan’s territory to cross the Karakoram range to itsWestern border.
China’s ties to Islamabad have deepened in recent years as Beijing haspledged to fund $57 billion in infrastructure as part of its Belt and Roadinitiative, including power stations and transport links.