The Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) is a physical energy infrastructure project to support new market opportunities, as well as to increase energy security amongst the ASEAN Member States. Rapid increase in economic growth and population in the region has created potential challenges in terms of energy security and sustainability. The TAGP is focused to a long term security of energy supply in the region as well as its availability and reliability. This will be achieved through interconnection of the gas pipeline infrastructure of ASEAN Member States, as well as connectivity through LNG regasification terminals to enable gas to be transported across the borders of the Member States.
Flexibility of gas movement in the region will facilitate efficiency and encourage gas trading in the region. As of the end of 2012, ASEAN had 7.5 trillion cubic metres (tcm) of gas reserves, representing 3.5% of the world total. Over the last two decades, gas production in ASEAN has more than doubled and will grow by 30% over the next 20 years. ASEAN has been a key exporter of LNG to global markets, but due to increasing demand for natural gas in the region, some ASEAN countries have started to import LNG as well. It accounts for almost one-quarter of the world total LNG liquefaction capacity in mid-2013 according to the South East Asia Energy Outlook published by the International Energy Agency in 2013.
Based on the ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE) TAGP Masterplan in 2000, the TAGP will incorporate numerous individual projects, involving construction of approximately 4,500 kilometers of pipelines, mainly undersea, worth around USD 7 billion. The TAGP project provides opportunities for private sector involvement in terms of investment, including financing and technology transfer. In addition, the network of gas pipelines offer significant benefits, both in terms of security, flexibility and quality of energy supply.
The completion of the Zawtika (Block M-9, located in Myanmar) in May 2014 represents the 12th bilateral interconnection of the TAGP which increased the length of cross-border gas pipelines from 815km in 2000 to 3,279km. Currently, the connections are bilateral in nature, with pipelines linking SingaporeMalaysia, Myanmar-Thailand, West Natuna-Singapore, West Natuna-Duyong, South Sumatra-Singapore, Malaysia-Thailand, and Singapore-Malaysia.
