The inter-governmental agreement on Nabucco project envisaging natural gas supplies from basin of the Caspian Sea to Europe avoiding Russia will be signed in Ankara on July 13, Reuters agency said with reference to Romania's minister of economy Adrian Videanu on July 3.
Nabucco project worth $7.9 billion envisages natural gas transportation to European countries via Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Austria. It will be continuation of constructed gas pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum. It envisages annual transportation of 20-30 billion cubic meters of gas. Two/third of gas pipeline will be constructed via Turkish border, RIA Novosti said.
Talks on Nabucco are held many years. One of major issues is filling mainline with gas. Talks stirred up early 2009 after Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict began. Construction is planned to be launched in 2011 but gas supplies via this pipeline in 2014.
"The inter-governmental agreement on Nabucco project will be signed in Ankara on July 13," Videanu told agency over phone from Azerbaijan during his two-day visit.
According to Turkish media, the agreement on project was planned to be signed in Ankara on June 25. But conclusion of the document was postponed on July 15.
Information appeared in Turkish press one of these days that conclusion of the agreement can be postponed because of unsolved problem of trans Caspian gas pipeline filling with gas.
Reuters agency calls Turkey not having great hydrocarbon reserves wants to get 15 percent of total volume of transported gas for its domestic use or re-export as on one of problems hampering conclusion o the document.
According to Romania's minister, 15-percent issue was solved. As far as I know, it was solved. But I do not know details," agency cites Videanu's words.
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Iraq are called among potential energy resources for Nabucco. The USA stands against Iran's participation in Nabucco realization but supports gas transportation to Europe from Iraq. Russia skeptically considers realization of Nabucco project in the nearest years.
First, roughly €250 million is planned to be allocated to finance Nabucco through EU. Then this amount was reduced to 50 million.
Final decision on Nabucco financing will be made late 2009- early 2010, Turkish media outlets said.
