Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 2 / Trend E. Ismayilov /
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) will complete part of works to upgrade the gas compressor station in Astara in December, which is a part of transportation infrastructure that connects Azerbaijan and Iran's gas systems, a source in SOCAR said today.
The source said the upgrading works envisages construction of the new station, consisting of 10 compressors, installation of six of which should be completed in December of 2010. The remaining four compressors will be installed during 2011.
Before the works of reconstruction of the station, it consisted of four compressors. The compressors, which are being installed at the station were in the republic, while the remaining will be imported, the source said
SOCAR head Rovnag Abdullayev said earlier that the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is implementing an investment program to expand the capacity of a gas compressor station in Astara. The program aims to fully meet the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic's (NAR) gas needs. Expanding the station in Astara will allow Azerbaijan to fully cover the NAR's gas needs without sending any additional gas supplies through Iran.
Iran is interested in purchasing roughly 5 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas per year.
Azerbaijan and Iran are connected with the Gazi-Magomed-Astara-Bind-Biand gas pipeline, 1,474.5-kilometers long. Its capacity was 10 billion cubic meters a year, but now it is lower. This route is a branch of the Gazakh-Astara-Iran pipeline commissioned in 1971. Three compressor stations - Gazi-Magomed, Aghdash and Gazakh were built.