Central Asia's Oil and Gas Pipeline Network: Current and Future Flows

Abstract

Substantial quantities of oil and gas lie beneath the surface of Central Asia and neighboring countries. Yet until viable export routes are established, much of the hydrocarbon base will remain undeveloped. Several new pipeline projects today are under consideration to facilitate trade, involving largely the transport of oil and gas from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and/or Azerbaijan. This paper examines current and expected future flows of oil and gas in the region, and the politics and economics influencing their directions and volumes. 4 tables, 5 figures, 19 references.

Turkmenistan after Turkmenbashi

“…Exploitation of Turkmenistan's gas is hampered by geography and by technology. The Soviet era gasfields are in the east of the country, from which the Central Asia -Center pipeline network was adequate for connecting Turkmenistan to other parts of the USSR, but no pipelines provided direct links to other countries and nor was there a dense internal network (Dorian et al, 1994). The unexploited gas reserves tend to be in the west, mostly under the Caspian Sea.…”