The Trans-caspian pipeline project could allow Turkmenistan to ship its gas to Turkey and Europe through the Southern Gas Corridor, but beyond the legal issues that have held it up, the project also faces strong economic obstacles.
The signing of the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea on 12 August raised hopes for the long-delayed 30 billion cubic metre per year pipeline project between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. However, gas from Turkmenistan will not be able to compete on European gas markets,