The Struggle to Build the TAPI Gas Pipeline Through Afghanistan

By Eurasianet - Aug 13, 2026, 1:00 PM CDT Turkmen and Afghan officials say construction is advancing on the 153-kilometer Serhetabat-Herat section of TAPI, although independent evidence of the pace of work remains limited. The two sides moved toward supplying Turkmen gas to Herat, but pricing, volumes and other important commercial terms have yet to be finalized. Berdymukhamedov also promoted electricity, fiber-optic, rail and logistics projects, but the talks produced few concrete new commitments beyond TAPI. Amid a thicket of hopeful rhetoric surrounding the construction of a trans-Afghan pipeline that would carry natural gas from Turkmenistan to South Asia, tangible signs of progress are hard to find.The pipeline, known as TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India), has been on the drawing board for decades, and construction of the first leg of the route, a 153-kilometer stretch from the Turkmen border at Serhetabat to the western Afghan city of Herat, is by most accounts inching along.Turkmenistan’s paramount leader, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, made a quick trip to Afghanistan on August 10 for talks aimed at building TAPI momentum and expanding broader trade contacts. Reports distributed by Turkmen state-controlled outlets were generally light on substance, instead emphasizing that “Turkmenistan's peace-loving foreign policy contributes to sustainable development in the region.”Both Turkmen and Afghan leaders repeatedly noted the importance of the TAPI project and insisted it was progressing. But official sources did not offer much in the way of specifics beyond a few factoids, such as construction “involves approximately 700 Turkmen specialists and over 300 units of specialized equipment.” The most notable development during Berdymukhamedov’s visit was the signing of what amounted to a letter of intent reportedly outlining basic terms for the shipment of Turkmen gas to the Herat region. The document also mentions the possibility of Turkmen involvement in the creation of a regional gas distribution network in Herat.But a gas-supply deal is a long way from being done. The most difficult details, including pricing and the volume of supply, remain to be negotiated. And Ashgabat has a long-standing reputation for being hard to pin down on a purchase price for its gas exports.Deputy Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar reportedly pressed Berdymukhamedov to conclude a pricing agreement to no immediate avail. “A long-term agreement should be concluded, contain simplified conditions and include a flexible mechanism for reviewing the agreement,” according to an Afghan government statement quoted by the Trend news agency.Berdymukhamedov also wants to advance other connectivity projects, including the construction of a Turkmen-Afghan-Pakistan power transmission line and an accompanying fiber-optic cable. During his visit, he additionally expressed a desire to boost cross-border trade, touting Turkmenistan’s Caspian Sea port of Turkmenbashi as a potential gateway for Afghan exports to Western markets. To boost economic contacts, he proposed the creation of a “unified logistics center” to help reduce transit times for overland and rail freight.There were no indications, however, that discussions yielded agreement to advance any of those concepts.By EurasianetMore Top Reads From Oilprice.comRussia Rebuilds Nuclear Workforce at Iran’s Bushehr PlantEgypt and Libya Near $1 Billion Oil Pipeline DealThe Hormuz Shock Is Far From Over Download The Free Oilprice App Today Back to homepage