Azerbaijan, Baku, 9 June / Trend / Azerbaijan does not intend to make any decision regarding the export of its own gas to Europe via any route, as long as the Country does not receive exact commercial data on most profitable gas transportation route, a high-ranking representative of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) said.
The SOCAR representative said that due to the gas volumes intended to be produced within the second stage of development of Shah Deniz field, Azerbaijan may transport its gas only via one of the pipelines. Earlier, Azerbaijan was invited to participate in the pipelines Nabucco, ITGI, TAP.
Norway's StatoilHydro ASA and Swiss-based EGL Group concluded the final agreements leading to the establishment of their equally-owned joint venture company that will develop, build and own the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) to export the Caspian gas to Europe. The 520-kilometre-long pipeline will transport natural gas via Greece and Albania, across the Adriatic Sea to Italy's southern region and further to Western Europe. The pipeline includes 115km underwater section from Albania to Italy. EGL states that the cost of the project on pipeline construction is estimated at $2.2bln. The pipeline will be operational in 2011. The initial carrying capacity of the pipeline is expected at 10bln cu.m gas per year, with further increase up to 20bln cu.m.
Having a carrying capacity of 31bln cu.m of gas per year, the 3,300-kilometre-long Nabucco gas pipeline will ensure the gas delivery via the Mediterranean and Caspian Sea to Europe via Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Austria. The pipeline, with the initial carrying capacity of up to 8bln cu.m per year, will be constructed by 2012. Initial supplies will begin in 2013. Nabucco gas pipeline will pump gas from Azerbaijan and Central Asia to EU countries. Nabucco Gas Pipeline International is the consortium of international partners to develop and construct the Nabucco gas pipeline. The members of the consortium are Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE, each owning 16.67%. The cost of the project is estimated at €7.9bln.
ITGI pipeline is intended to transport Caspian gas via Turkey-Greece-Italy route. The carrying capacity of the pipeline is supposed to be 8-10bln cu.m gas. The pipeline is expected to be launched in 2012. The parties to the 800km pipeline are Greek Depa and Italian Edisson.