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发帖数: 4718 | 1 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32981469
For many, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline is
nothing but a pipe dream.
Its starting point is in Turkmenistan, one of the most isolated and closed-
for-business states in the world, before it goes through war-torn
Afghanistan and then reaches two countries that are hard to describe as
partners - Pakistan and India.
However, Turkmenistan insists that the pipeline's construction will start by
the end of 2015. The visit in May of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
to Ashgabat seemed to confirm this - both sides pledged to put fast track
the project.
Likewise the recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
Turkmenistan is also being seen as a boost to the project.
Why is the pipeline so crucial?
The proposed 1,420km-long (882-mile) pipeline will carry 33 billion cubic
meters (bcm) of gas a year from Galkynysh, making it one of the world's
biggest onshore gas fields.
Pakistan and India will each get 42% of that volume - the rest will be
purchased by Afghanistan.
The US strongly supports the pipeline plan, calling it "a transformative
project for the entire region".
If implemented, it will help to attract much-needed investment to
Afghanistan, increasing budget revenues through transit fees and contribute
to the country's overall development.
The project is also crucial for India and Pakistan who are both facing
severe energy shortages.
By 2020-21, demand for gas in India is expected to double and according to
the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, demand for gas in Pakistan over
roughly the same timeframe will be three times higher than supply.
Turkmenistan is keen to implement this project in order to diversify its
export routes and decrease its dependency on China. At the moment Beijing is
the main buyer of the Turkmen gas and by 2020 it will import two times more
Turkmen gas than now. |
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