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Realization of Nabucco Gas Pipeline Project Not Depends on Relations between Turkey and Gazprom: Russian Analysts

Oil&Gas Materials 25 July 2008 16:35 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, 25 July/ Trend , corr A. Badalova/ The strengthening of relation between Turkey and large Russian monopolist Gazprom in the sphere of gas will not have a strong impact on the realization of Nabucco gas pipeline project, the Russian experts interviewed by Trend said.

During deputy chairman of board of director of Gazprom Alexander Medvedev's visit to Ankara, the two states have reached a number of agreements in the gas sphere, reported Reuters quoting the sources in the Turkish authorities. They have decided to establish JV which will deal with the gas-distributing networks in this country.

Pavel Sorokin, the analyst of UniCreditAton, which is part of UniCredit Group international financial group, the strengthening of cooperation between Gazprom and Turkey can not have a strong impact on Nabucco project.

"The perspectives of this project became vague after Gazprom's consent to purchase Mediterranean gas at the market prices," Sorokin said to Trend by electronic mail. 

In 2009, the purchase of the Mediterranean gas by Gazprom will go up by more than two times. Today, Gazprom purchases Turkmen gas at $150 for 1,000 cu meters, Kazakh gas - $160 and Uzbek - $145.  

Timur Khayrullin, analyst of AntantaPioglobal investment group believes that the perspectives of Nabucco project almost depends on the realization of joint projects between Gazaprom and Turkey.

The participants of Nabucco include the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE. Each of the participants holds equal shares - 16.67% each. Nabucco project worth $12.4bln is expected to deliver gas from Azerbaijan and Central Asia to EU by 2013. The large energy company Gaz de France is also interested in obtaining part of the gas transported via this gas pipeline.

Concerning the cooperation, it is beneficial for both parties, experts said.

"The cooperation between Gazprom and Turkey has a long record full of both success and problems. The large joint project between Russia and Turkey was Blue Stream. Now parties plan to cooperate in order to store and distribute gas," Khayrullin said to Trend by e-mail.

According to Sorokin, Gazprom is pursuing its policy to reach out to out to consumers.

"The cooperation is beneficial for both parties as Gazprom is gaining direct access to the distribution market and opportunity to hold share in the income of JV and on its part, Turkey is gaining reliable supplier of gas for its domestic market," Sorokin said.

The correspondent can be contacted at: [email protected]

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