TAPI becomes pipeline operator

Turkmengas (Turkmenistan), AGE (Afghanistan, ISGS (Pakistan) and GAIL (India) have founded an operating company for management of the TAPI pipeline project. The company was given the same name as the project, TAPI, RIA Novosti reports.

Claus Gerhauser, the director general of the Central and Western Asia Department of the Asian Development Bank, an international consultant of the project, said that the foundation of TAPI was a key moment in the development of the project, anticipating improvement of energy security, expansion of business activities and enforcement of peace and stability in the region.

The TAPI pipeline will be 1,735km, it will have a capacity of 33 billion cubic meters a year. The project is worth about $7.9 billion. It is expected to be launched in 2017.