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allocated 10 bcm of capacity across the pipelines for their own gas exports. Therefore, since the Uzbeks and Kazakhs now need their domestically-produced gas for their own consumption, the 20 bcm of capacity has become available.
“There are several agreements in the right direction and many good intentions but, so far, no physical infrastructure for bringing
Turkmen gas westwards”
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Russia, Dauren Abayev, gave
a wide-ranging interview to Russia’s TASS news agency ahead of the May 9 Victory Day celebrations.
Asked about the transit of Russian gas to China via Kazakh- stan, Abayev responded that a “road map” was already agreed,
Opinion 73 adding: “We are talking about 35 billion cubic metres of gas
that will be supplied to China.”
The only gas pipelines in Kazakhstan leading to China are Lines A, B, and C of the CAC network. Let’s remind ourselves: the lines have a total capacity of 55 bcm, of which around 35 bcm is currently used by Turkmenistan.
The Russian moves could explain Turkmenistan’s recent unprecedented marketing blitz to sell its gas.
There have been frequent meetings, in various combinations of Turkmen, Turkish, Azerbaijani and EU officials on the possibilities for shipping Turkmen gas to Europe for more than two years. And Pakistani officials talked of piping Turkmen gas to the Arabian Sea coast for shipping to European markets.
There are several agreements in the right direction and many good intentions but, so far, no physical infrastructure for bringing Turkmen gas westwards.
Turkmenistan could find itself in a very precarious situation, very soon.
The proposed Line D of the CAC has remained a "pipe dream" / etemadonline.com
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