Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 28 / Trend /
Socar Georgia Gas (a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) in Georgia) will increase the number of subscribers of its gas distribution networks (more than 30 networks) to 57,000 by 2010, SOCAR reported.
The number of subscribers in the Georgian areas densely populated with Azerbaijanis will be: Marneuli - 10,000, Gardabani - 7,000, Bolnisi - 5,000 and Dmanisi - 5,000.
Under the Georgian president's decree, 100 percent of network in the Gardabani and Dmanisi regions and 42.55 percent of networks in the Bolnisi region were transferred to the control of Socar Georgia Gas, SOCAR said.
However, SOCAR and its subsidiaries have no relation to the networks in Samtskhe-Javakheti region, densely populated with Armenians of Georgia, and have no relationship with distribution companies conducting work in this area.
The investment envisaged for the first year of a three-year gasification program is 31 gas facilities in Georgia, belonging to SOCAR Georgia Gas, and amounts to 48 million lari (over $28.6 million).
These funds will be spent to construct a gas distribution network with total length of 800 kilometers by 57,000 new potential customers.
The volume of investments for the project within three years can increase from an initial $40 million to $70-80 million, the source at SOCAR Energy Georgia told Trend earlier.
"At the initial stage, the estimated minimum amount of investment in this project was $40 million, this was a minimum limit, the cost of the gasification, regarding rehabilitation of distribution networks may take approximately $70-80 million," said the source earlier.
At present a gasification process is ongoing and it is planned to start gas supplies in many rural areas in September.
At present, demand of the gas filling stations of the company is about 80-90 million cubic meters per year. The company plans to increase number of subscribers from 60,000 to 150,000 in total as part of a three-year program. After increasing a number of consumers, demand of these networks will be doubled.
On Dec. 26, SOCAR and the Georgian Government signed an agreement to operate 30 gas supply grids and gas distribution networks in the Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Shida and Kvemo Kartli, Ajaria, Guria, Imereti, Samegrelo regions of Georgia. These networks are operated by 24 companies.
In April, SOCAR Energy Georgia acquired a gas distribution network in the Marneuli region populated by Azerbaijani community. Marneuli has 31 gas supply grids operated by SOCAR Georgia.
Gas distribution networks in Marneuli were previously owned Wissol, which bought gas from SOCAR and was selling it in Marneuli. Now the whole cycle of works in this direction will be implemented by SOCAR Energy Georgia.
40-million investment program covers purchase, development and management of distribution networks.
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