80% to Herat: Turkmenistan Pushes Ahead with TAPI Ahead of the OGT 2026 Gas Forum
Central Asia Column “Steppe Ahead”
1,700 delegates from 75 countries are traveling to Ashgabat this week. From October 21 to 23, Turkmenistan will host the 31st Oil and Gas Conference (OGT 2026) there, the country’s most important industry gathering. Shortly before the forum, the state-owned company Türkmengaz reports that construction on the first section of the TAPI pipeline to Herat is 80% complete. At the same time, Ashgabat declares the long-neglected Trans-Caspian Pipeline a priority.
TAPI: 153 kilometers to Herat nearing completion
The TAPI pipeline is intended to transport gas from the massive Galkynysh field through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. It is planned to be approximately 1,814 kilometers long with an annual capacity of 33 billion cubic meters. The first Afghan section runs 153 kilometers from Serhetabat to Herat. According to Türkmengaz, it is about 80% complete. Completion is expected by the end of the year. Eurasianet, a U.S. news portal specializing in Central Asia, reported on the status in mid-October.
The regional news platform Times of Central Asia provided details in September: 122.3 kilometers of pipe had been welded and laid, 71.5 kilometers of which had already been buried. In May, only 63 kilometers had been laid, so the pace has doubled within four months. Starting in 2027, the second section—from Herat to the Pakistani border—will take priority. The total length of the Afghan section is 816 kilometers, and its funding for 2027 remains to be determined. Türkmengaz holds the majority stake in the project consortium, while Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India each hold 5%. According to the Asian Development Bank, Pakistan and India are each expected to purchase 47.5% of the gas, with Afghanistan taking 5%. Initial revenues are expected sooner: In August, Türkmengaz and Afghan Gas signed a memorandum regarding gas sales in Herat Province; volumes and prices have yet to be determined. At the same time, Turkmenistan is constructing a 500-kilovolt power line in Herat and a roughly 120-kilometer-long railway line starting from Torghundi. However, the company has not specified a date for the first deliveries to South Asia. “No one can give an exact date,” said Türkmengaz Deputy Director Myrat Archayev in an interview in early October, as quoted by Eurasianet.
Caspian Route Gains Ground, China Remains Main Customer
Archayev conveyed a second message: The Trans-Caspian pipeline to Azerbaijan is “very relevant” and a priority. This marks a change in course, as Ashgabat had avoided the project for a pipeline to Europe for years. Yet, according to the World Bank, the country sits on the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves. Former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov had already declared the diversification of export routes a top national priority back in February, the Times of Central Asia reported. The demarcation of the seabed between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, financing, and supply volumes remain unresolved. According to Eurasianet, Kazakhstan’s route problem is also fueling the debate: Russian export routes are repeatedly disrupted following Ukrainian drone attacks, and the region is seeking alternatives.
For the time being, China remains the dominant buyer. Approximately 30 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas flow annually through the Central Asia–China pipeline. In April, Türkmengaz agreed with the Chinese state-owned company CNPC on the fourth expansion phase of the Galkynysh project. According to the Times of Central Asia, the deal is worth $5.1 billion and is intended to increase annual processing capacity by 10 billion cubic meters. Each new route reduces this dependence only slowly.
Nine-Month Results: Production Target Exceeded, Trading Momentum Slows
The third-quarter figures only partially support the presentation to investors. According to a cabinet report from early October, Turkmenistan met 109.1% of its production target for natural gas and associated gas from January through September. This was reported by the Azerbaijani news agency Trend. Following the cabinet meeting on October 16, the same agency reported a slowdown in trade: Revenue from enterprises under the Ministry of Trade grew by 13.2% year-over-year over the nine-month period. According to Trend’s calculations, this growth was 5.2 percentage points below the 2025 figure. The government does not disclose absolute figures, and there are no independent audits of the official data.
Nevertheless, the OGT remains the showcase event of the year. According to Turkmenistan’s state news portal, 450 companies have confirmed their participation, including firms from Germany, the U.S., China, and Malaysia. For the first time, Malaysia is presenting its own national pavilion featuring more than 20 companies. On the agenda are Galkynysh, TAPI, gas transportation through the Caspian region, downstream industries, and the reduction of methane emissions. For investors, one thing ultimately matters: whether Ashgabat presents signed supply contracts, prices, and financing commitments. So far, all three are missing for TAPI.
Source: Eurasianet, Times of Central Asia, Trend, Trend, turkmenistan.gov.tm (all in English)