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.