Warsaw, Poland, April 2
By Saba Aghayeva - Trend:
Europe should take into account Azerbaijan's potential in accordance with the new policy on ensuring security of supply of energy resources, the Polish Deputy Prime Minister, Economy Minister, Janusz Piechociński said.
"We are well aware, what efforts Azerbaijan applies to the implementation of the project for construction of a gas pipeline through Turkey [TANAP]. Under the new policy on security of energy supplying, Europe needs to take into account the potential of Azerbaijan" Piechociński said at a meeting with Azerbaijani journalists in Warsaw.
Not only cooperation with Azerbaijan in the purchase of natural gas, but also on the construction of the gas pipeline is of greatest interest for Poland, according to the deputy PM.
"Southern Gas Corridor project will be implemented exactly in the form in which it was planned.
All the more, Azerbaijan shares border with Turkmenistan in the Caspian, and the EU and Baku relations should be reviewed considering the interests of Turkmenistan. I want once again to emphasize that we not only count upon the Azerbaijani energy resources. The important question for us is the issue of energy resources processing with the participation of Polish investments in Azerbaijan," he noted.
The Southern Gas Corridor is a project that will allow Europe to diversify its sources of hydrocarbon supply and strengthen energy security and for Azerbaijan to get a new market in Europe.
The final investment decision on the Shah Deniz-2 project was adopted in Baku on Dec.17. Gas to be produced as part of the Shah Deniz-2 project is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor. Some 16 billion cubic meters of gas (nine billion - as part of the first stage) are planned to be produced as part of the second stage of the field development, six billion cubic meters of which will be transported to Turkey and 10 billion cubic meters will be delivered to Europe.
The gas within the second stage of development of the field will be exported to Europe through the expansion of the South Caucasus gas pipeline and construction of the Trans-Anatolian and Trans-Adriatic pipelines.
Reserves of Shah Deniz field are estimated to be 1.2 trillion cubic meters of gas.
The contract to develop the offshore Shah Deniz field was signed on June 4, 1996. The participants of the agreement are: BP (operator) - 25.5 percent, Statoil - 25.5 percent, NICO - 10 percent, Total - 10 percent, Lukoil - 10 percent, TPAO - 9 percent and SOCAR-10 percent.
Translated by S.I.
Edited by C.N.