ADB asks for India's inclusion in gas pipeline project

Monday, 06 October 2003, 19:30 IST
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ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has asked for inclusion of India in a feasibility study for the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline project, an official said. The member countries have already invited India for the project. "No official response was received from New Delhi but the ADB has asked to include India in the feasibility study," said the official, requesting anonymity. According to estimates, the TAP pipeline will be around 1,700 km long from Daulatabad Gas Fields in Turkmenistan to Gawadar via Afghanistan, to transport 1.5-2 billion cubic feet gas per day (BCFD). The project will be completed with a cost of $3 billion. However, if India was to be included, about 500km pipeline would be added up to the border of India, said the official. This is the second gas pipeline project which is being offered to India, the earlier being from Iran. Meanwhile, the seventh meeting of the steering committee on the TAP gas pipeline project scheduled for mid-October has been postponed till December as Turkmenistan has not yet provided the certification of reserves to ADB. The stakeholders also demand more time for the finalisation of host country agreement. The official said that Pakistan has conveyed to the Turkmenistan government that further time was required for the finalisation of the agreements on the various agenda items, particularly the host country agreement. "The TAP is a billion dollar project and we are not going to take any step in haste," the official said. He said the tentative agenda of the meeting would be to finalise the host country agreement, pre-qualify companies for the bidding, presentation of the ADB report regarding the certification of reserve of Daulatabad Gas Field and route study.
Source: IANS
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