Gas pipeline talks

Dawn, April 13, 2005
Gas pipeline talks begin


ISLAMABAD, April 12: Pakistani, Turkmen and Afghan ministers met on Tuesday to discuss a multi-billion gas pipeline, the size of Turkmen gas reserves and security in volatile Afghanistan.

The long-delayed project envisages a $3.3 billion 1,600-km pipeline running through Afghanistan to Pakistan, providing Kabul with transit revenue and Pakistan with much needed energy.

Among reasons for the delay have been worry about security in Afghanistan and questions over the size of the reserves in Turkmenistan's Daulatabad gas field. Pakistan's Petroleum Minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon said progress was being made in this direction.

"The Afghan minister has given quite some surety and it appears to us, too, that there is a lot of improvement in the situation over there," Jadoon told reporters after the ministers met in Islamabad.

"They are clearing the land mines and, as the minister said, it would improve considerably," he said. According to Turkmen estimates Daulatabad has reserves of 1.7 trillion cubic metres, making it the world's fourth largest gas field, but Pakistan wants to be sure about that.

Mr Jadoon said the Turkmen delegation presented some figures but had asked for another month to give a complete picture and Pakistani experts would visit the site to conduct some technical and geological checks.

He said Pakistan was under tremendous pressure to speed up pipeline projects to meet growing energy needs. "It is our compulsion," he said, adding that the country had to work simultaneously on pipeline projects from Iran and Qatar.

He said the route of the Turkmen pipeline had also been discussed, with the southern Afghan province of Kandahar seen as the most suitable route for geographical reasons, despite security problems.

"It is more feasible, the one from Kandahar, because there are no mountains there, " he said. Afghan officials want India to join the project but Indian officials have shown only cautious interest. -Reuters