Pakistan is the most viable route for gas supplies from Turkmenistan to other parts of the world, Musadik Malik, the State Minister for Petroleum of Pakistan said on Wednesday, Pakistani news outlets report.
According to a senior official, the Government of Pakistan has extended an invitation to Turkmenistan to explore the possibility of gas connectivity from the Chaman border [ed. – border of Pakistan with Afghanistan] to Gwadar.
There are plans to construct LNG terminals in Gwadar port on the shores of the Indian Ocean, which can be used for supplies of Turkmen gas to Europe and the global LNG markets.
“We want to be the trading partner of Central Asia, as it is the world energy capital. We have given a proposal to bring gas through a pipeline to Pakistan. There are huge gas reserves in Turkmenistan, almost equivalent to that of Qatar,” Malik said.
He underlined Europeans could set up their own LNG processing terminals in Pakistan, including at Gwadar port, from where they could transport gas to their home destinations. This, he said, could be an alternative option for them. Besides, China could also establish LNG terminals for its requirements, he added.
In addition, the presence of foreign investors in the LNG sector will help Pakistan to obtain financing for the TAPI project from multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and ADB.
Turkmenistan and Pakistan have recently signed the Joint Implementation Plan for the TAPI gas pipeline project. Pakistan also buys LPG from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. ///nCa, 22 June 2023
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