Turkmenistan News 21 October 2026 16:53 (UTC +04:00)
Photo: Turkmen MFA
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 21. Turkmenistan plans to begin natural gas supplies through the Afghan section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline in 2026, Chairman of the State Concern Turkmengaz Maksat Babaev said at the 31st International Conference and Exhibition “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan” (OGT 2026) in Ashgabat, Trend's special correspondent reports.
According to him, construction of the section from Serhetabat to Herat is currently underway.
“Work is proceeding according to schedule, and gas supplies through this section are planned to begin in 2026,” Babaev said.
According to him, the TAPI pipeline has a design capacity of up to 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Babaev noted that the project is viewed not only as energy infrastructure but also as a driver of economic cooperation and stronger regional ties.
A practical step in this direction was a working visit by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, National Leader of the Turkmen People, to Afghanistan's Herat Province on August 10, 2026. During the visit, the State Concern Turkmengaz and Afghan state-owned company Afghan Gas signed a memorandum of understanding providing, among other things, for cooperation on gas supplies to Herat Province.
The development of the Galkynysh field remains another key priority for Turkmenistan's gas industry. According to an independent assessment by GaffneyCline, reserves at Galkynysh, together with the Garakel and Yashlar structures, total 27.4 trillion cubic meters of gas.
The fourth phase of Galkynysh development предусматривает drilling production wells and constructing a commercial gas treatment facility with an annual capacity of 10 billion cubic meters. China's national oil and gas company CNPC is the project's partner. More than 1,000 jobs are expected to be created upon completion.
“For us, the fourth phase means not only additional gas volumes but also new opportunities for contractors, equipment suppliers and technology partners, and we are interested in their participation,” Babaev emphasized.
Speaking about exports, the head of Turkmengaz said that more than 477 billion cubic meters of gas had been supplied through the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, which has been operating since December 2009, as of October 1, 2026.
Babaev also noted that Turkmenistan continues to pursue a policy of diversifying export routes, developing supplies in eastern, southern and western directions. Other priorities for the sector include technological modernization, digitalization of production processes, methane emissions reduction and the training of national personnel.