Azerbaijan, Baku, October 28 / Trend K. Konyrova, A. Badalova /
Limited number of Kazakh available hydrocarbon resources hamper the country to take part in the project of Nabucco pipeline, high-ranking official of the Kazakh Ministry of Energy said.
"Limited number of available resources is the main problem for Kazakhstan. At present, several large projects that require huge volumes of gas are under realization," Meyram Kanapyanov said at the international conference on Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the OSCE on October 28.
Nabucco project worth €7.9 billion envisages gas supply from the Caspian region and Middle East to EU countries. Azerbaijan and Iraq are considered as major gas suppliers to realize the first phase of the gas pipeline.
Construction of gas pipeline was scheduled on 2011. The first supplies will be launched in 2014. Maximal capacity of pipeline will hit 31 billion cubic meters of per year.
Earlier, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that Kazakhstan will be a participant of "Nabucco" project. "Kazakhstan has expressed its interest in the Nabucco project." Kazakhstan will be a part of the project. Kazakh natural gas will be transported to Europe, " Gul said.
Turkey is a member of "Nabucco" project together with Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Germany.
Kanapyanov said that the second problem for Kazakhstan's participation in the project is the need for laying a gas pipeline through the seabed of the Caspian Sea. Its integral status has not been determined yet.
"Kazakhstan will not be able to transport gas via Nabucco without realization of the project of Trasn-Caspian gas pipeline", Kanapyanov said.
Nevertheless, deputy director said that Kazakhstan can be considered as a potential supplier of gas for the Nabucco project while developing prospective deposits and availability of gas resources in future.
Official representative of "Nabucco", Christian Dolezal, commenting the possibility of Kazakhstan's joining the project, said that the marketing company Nabucco Gas Pipeline Int will positively appreciate readiness of Central Asian country to supply gas through the pipeline.
According to BP, proven gas reserves of Kazakhstan amounted to 1.82 trillion cubic meters in early 2009. Gas production in the country, according to BP, hit 30.2 billion cubic meters in 2008 or 13.9 percent more compared to 2007.
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