By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 5 -- The Asian Development Bank has awarded a contract to Penspen Ltd., London, to conduct a 5 month techno-economic feasibility study for its proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) natural gas pipeline project.
The pipeline would transport gas produced in the Dauletabad field in southeastern Turkmenistan to undersupplied markets in Afghanistan—which also would benefit from transit fees—Pakistan, and possibly northern India.
India has been invited to join the TAP project, but has not yet responded, although Indian companies have expressed an interest in participating (OGJ Online, June 3, 2003).
In the study, due in mid-September, Penspen would assess TAP viability, select an optimum pipeline route, define an optimum transmission system, perform environmental and social studies and a hydraulic analysis, consider seismic impacts. It also would perform an economic analysis and estimate capital and operating costs.
