Economy30/11/2007Four-party deal on CAC pipeline expansion to be signed by end 2007
The Central Asia-Centre gas pipeline runs from Turkmenistan via Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to Russia. The pipeline was built in 1974. The western branch of the pipeline runs from the Turkmen areas of the Caspian Sea region to the north. The eastern branch runs from eastern Turkmenistan and southern Uzbekistan the northwest. The pipeline branches meet in western Kazakhstan. From there the pipelines runs to north where it’s connected to the Russian natural gas pipeline system.
The diameter of the pipeline varies between 1,020-1,420 mm. The current capacity of the pipeline is 44 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year. Its agreed to increase the capacity to 55 bcm by 2010 and by modernization of the pipeline it’s possible to increase the capacity of pipeline up to 90 bcm.
Almost all Uzbek and Turkmen natural gas delivered through the Central Asia-Centre pipeline, mainly through the eastern branch, because of the location of production sites and poor technical conditions of the western branch.