Representatives of the four nations along with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the lead development partner for the project, held discussions with potential contractors at roadshow organised here to promote the project, sources privy to the development said.
TAPI project countries-- Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India -- have invited firm which can become consortium leaders for executing the cross-country project. Besides, lead financiers too have been invited to determine the market and conditions under which qualified firms would participate in the project.
Sources said roadshows were previously held at Singapore (September 10) and New York (September 13).
"The idea behind the road shows is to interact with prospective consortium leaders and financiers of the project to understand their requirement," an Indian official participating in the roadshows said.
After the road shows are over, the delegation will move to Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) on September 22-23 for the Technical Working Group (TWG) and Steering Committee (SC) meetings of the project.
The TAPI pipeline -- which would originate from Turkmenistan, and pass through Afghanistan and Pakistan before entering India -- is expected to bring in about 38 million standard cubic meters per day of gas to India.
The final price of gas would work out somewhere around USD 10 per million British thermal unit, as against the domestic D-6 gas being sold at USD 4.2 per mmBtu and imported LNG that costs around USD 14 per mmBtu.
Sources said the road shows are aimed at "selling" the ambitious project to oil companies and financiers and invite investment for it.
The entire process of selection, selection of the consortium leader and finding the investors is expected to take one year.
The construction of the pipeline is expected to start in 2015 and the gas supply is scheduled to flow from 2018 onwards.
After the road shows, bids will be invited under the ICB route to select the consortium leader who will be responsible for the design, funding, building, control and subsequent operations of the pipeline.
The bid for the construction will go to the one which has financial soundness and technical expertise in building transnational pipelines, source said.
