Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec.29 / Trend E. Ismailov /
In 2011, the investment amount of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) within the 3-year program of gasification, of the 31st gas grid of Georgia, will be about $30 million, a source at SOCAR Energy Georgia, a subsidiary of SOCAR in Georgia, said.
According to him, as a result of the first two years of the program, SOCAR's investments within the gasification venture will be about $ 60 million.
"During the third year of the program about $30 million will be invested in the gasification process," the source said.
According to him, work on the gasification of Georgian regions are currently underway. He estimated that, as a result of work in the second year of the program, which will end by late January, the number of new subscribers will reach 100,000.
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. Twenty-four companies currently operate these networks.
In April, SOCAR Energy Georgia acquired a gas distribution network in the Marneuli region populated by the Azerbaijani community. Marneuli has 31 gas supply grids which are operated by SOCAR Georgia.
Gas distribution networks in Marneuli were previously owned by Wissol, which bought gas from SOCAR and sold it in Marneuli.