Turkmenistan offers new gas supply source

Turkmenistan, which failed to submit third-party certification of Dauletabad gas field reserves, has now offered a new supply source, Osman/ Yolatan gas field, which has raised serious concerns in Pakistan, sources exclusively told Business Recorder. Turkmenistan gas reserves are estimated to be around 14 trillion cubic metres (TCMs).
Pakistan has requested Turkmenistan to provide official confirmation of gas reserves, through third-party, committed supply under TAPI gas pipeline project. Sources close to Inter State Gas System (ISGS) Managing Director (MD) Hilal A Raza told Business Recorder that Turkmenistan had proposed to change gas supply source to Osman/Yolatan gas field during the meeting of Technical Working Group (TEG) on August 4-6, 2010 at Ashgabat. The newly proposed field is 150 km to the north of Dauletabad. However, discussions till recently under the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project had focused on supply from Dauletabad gas field.
The Steering Committee on TAPI project will hold meetings in Ashgabat on September 15-20 to resolve the issue of alternative gas supply. "While we are awaiting third-party certification of the Turkmen gas reserves we would like to know the reasons for the change in the gas supply source, which is a concern for us," Pakistan side gave this message to the visiting Turkmenistan delegation last week.
Petroleum Ministry Secretary Kamran Lashari confirmed that Turkmenistan had proposed an alternative source of gas supply. "We may accept alternative source of gas supply if Turkmenistan provides third-party certification of gas reserves," he said, adding that the issue would be discussed in the experts' meeting to be held in Turkmenistan.
Sources said that due to the security situation in Afghanistan, an alternative route to lay gas pipeline along the Iran-Afghan border, all the way to Gwadar, was under discussion with Turkmenistan. Pakistan has submitted a concept paper to the Turkmen side on this. Both sides have formed a Task Force to resolve this issue, but no progress has been made so far. The Task Force will discuss the issue in detail during the upcoming meeting of the steering committee. The TAPI pipeline would pass near Reko Diq copper mines project in Balochistan, Chaghi area, and thence onward to Gwadar port.