Turkmenistan to Begin Gas Exports to Afghanistan by 2027

DID Press: Head of Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) pipeline project has announced that Turkmenistan plans to start exporting natural gas to Afghanistan by early 2027, with the Afghanistan section of the pipeline set for completion by the end of 2026.

Mohammad Murad Amanov, the project’s director, said construction on the Afghanistan segment is on track and gas transmission from Turkmenistan will begin once it is completed.

Amanov also reported that negotiations with Pakistan on key agreements are more than 90 percent complete. These accords will secure future investments and cooperation between financial institutions and gas companies involved in the project.

The TAPI pipeline, designed to transport 33 billion cubic meters of gas annually, originates from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gas field and passes through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. Turkmenistan has already completed its section and is ready for operation in 2024.

Construction of the 153-kilometer Sarhadabat–Herat segment in Afghanistan began in September 2024. Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov formally launched a new construction phase in October 2025.

According to Makhsat Babayev, head of the state-owned Turkmengaz company, initial gas exports to Afghanistan will total 500 million cubic meters per year, rising to 1.5 billion cubic meters annually in later stages.

Taliban’s economic affairs office said that Berdimuhamedov, during a recent visit to Afghanistan, inspected progress on the project and reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s commitment to completing it on schedule.