Kazakhstan has reiterated its commitment to supporting the long-planned Tapi natural gas pipeline project and has formally proposed acquiring a significant stake in the venture. The proposal, sent to shareholders last year, suggests Kazakhstan could take up to a 30% share, positioning it as the second-largest shareholder. This initiative follows a strategic gas partnership agreement signed between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, aimed at forging closer energy ties.

Project Overview and Specifications

The Tapi pipeline is designed to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan's giant Galkynysh field to India, covering a distance of 1600 kilometers through Afghanistan and Pakistan. A 10-kilometer connector from the Indo-Pakistan border would link the pipeline to India's national gas grid. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the project's financing partner, the pipeline is planned to have an ultimate annual capacity of 33 billion cubic meters (Bcm), with an initial phase delivering about 11 Bcm per year upon completion.

Current Stakeholders and Turkmenistan's Role

Turkmenistan is the primary driver of the Tapi project, holding an 85% stake through the Turkmen-based special purpose vehicle, Galkynysh Pipeline Company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the state-run Turkmengaz. The remaining 15% is equally divided among Afghan Gas Enterprise, Pakistan’s Inter State Gas Systems Limited, and India’s Gail. Turkmenistan views Tapi as essential for diversifying its export markets, complementing existing pipelines to China, Iran, and Russia, and has committed to financing the Afghanistan segment of the pipeline.

Diplomatic and Cooperative Context

The Kazakh proposal was discussed during a high-level meeting between Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov in Astana, where joint energy projects were a key topic. Although the Tapi project was not specifically mentioned in the official press release, Kazakhstan emphasized its role as a reliable partner in transporting Turkmen gas to China and expressed intentions to continue cooperation on gas processing and infrastructure development. The issue of Kazakhstan's stake proposal has been elevated to a higher level for discussion, with no response yet received from Ashgabat.