Ashgabat, 22 May 2010 (nCa) --- Turkmenistan will start building a multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline in June 2010. The East-West pipe would connect all the major gas fields of Turkmenistan to a single network.

Two state corporations – Turkmengaz and Turkmennebitgazgurlushyk (Turkmen Oil and Gas Construction) – have been tasked to undertake the project.

The announcement was made Friday by President Berdymuhamedov during a meeting of the cabinet of ministers.

According to the presidential decree issued the same day, the work will start in June 2010 and the project should be completed by June 2015.

The pipeline capacity would be 30 billion cubic meters and it would run from Shatlyk in Mary province to Belek in Balkan province. Depending on the exact route of the pipeline, its length could be 750-900 kilometers.

The pipeline will connect with Daulatabat-Deryalyk compressor station at one end and the Belek-1 compressor station at the other.

The tenders for the pipeline were floated in March 2009 and interested parties were asked to submit their bids by 27 June 2009. Later, the deadline for tenders was extended by one month. However, no results were made public.

Event though the local state corporations have been awarded the contract, there is likelihood that some work may be subcontracted to foreign companies from Russia, China, South Korea or UAE.

Some foreign investors may possibly provide partial funding for the project.

Also see our analysis published in April 2009: http://www.newscentralasia.net/moreNews.php?nID=398