ISLAMABAD: An operational agreement on the Tapi gas pipeline was signed by Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India on July 8.

Federal Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Inter-State Gas Systems’ managing director Mubeen Saulat represented Pakistan in the meeting and hailed the progress as a 'great milestone.'

In addition to recording of pressure, points of compressors etc all technical details, specifications of gas, gas flow, pipe length, diameter were discussed during a meeting of the Tapi Steering Committee held in Ashgabat.

The accord relates to the 1,735-kilometre Tapi (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India) pipeline, which would carry gas from Turkmenistan to India while crossing through Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to a preliminary breakdown, Pakistan and India would each get about 42 per cent of the gas and Afghanistan the remainder.

The project has also won vocal support from the United States, which is strongly opposed to India and Pakistan drawing supplies from Iran through another proposed gas pipeline.

Turkmenistan, which is believed to hold the world’s fourth-largest gas reserves, is eager to find new markets for its potentially gargantuan energy exports amid flagging interest from Russia, its traditional client.

The pipeline would deliver up to 33 billion cubic metres of gas annually.