Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.25
By Emil Ismayilov - Trend:
SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) will determine where to construct new service stations (gas stations) in the regions of Azerbaijan before the end of the year, a source in SOCAR told Trend Aug. 25.
In order to determine the exact location of the new stations "SOCAR Petroleum" has already appealed to the Azeryolservis JSC of Azerbaijani Transport Ministry to obtain a precise scheme of major trunk routes, as well as information on the timing of the completion of the reconstruction.
"Currently, the country is actively working on the development of road infrastructure, and from this point of view, it is essential for the construction of new stations to obtain accurate data from Azeryolservis JSC," said the source.
After obtaining the necessary data from Azeryolservis JSC and determination of the location of new stations SOCAR Petroleum will carry out land acquisition.
Economic feasibility is important when choosing the location of the gas station, and that is why the new filling stations are planned to be built at major highways in the vicinity of settlements.
"This will ensure the needs of the residents of these settlements in the fuel, as well as the service of cars," the source added. "The decision will be made before the end of this year," the source stressed.
The source also said that, in particular, the possibility of building a gas station in the Gazakh district (towards Georgia), and the Lankaran district (towards Iran) and other parts of the country is being considered. "The matter rests in the construction of two or three new stations," said the agency.
In addition, the issue of launching of automatic mini-stations in Baku remains on the agenda. "This issue is still being studied, and a final decision on it has not yet been made," he said.
Currently there are 16 gas stations of SOCAR on the territory of Azerbaijan, two of which are located in the north of the country, and the rest in Baku.
SOCAR is the only oil producer in Azerbaijan (it has two refineries on its balance), and also owns petrol stations in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Switzerland.