Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 3 / Trend E.Ismayilov /
The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) will soon put into operation a new compressor plant in Astara and launch the gas supply to Iran under the long-term contract signed with National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC), Head of the Production Union Azerigas Akbar Hajiyev said. SOCAR owns the PU.
Azerbaijan supplies about 1.5 million cubic meters of gas per day to Iran under a swap gas supply to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
SOCAR and NIGEC signed an agreement on long-term supplies of Azerbaijani gas to Iran in Baku on Jan.12. Under the contract, which concludes after 5 years, Azerbaijan will supply 1 billion cubic meters of gas to Iran in 2011 and the volume will increase in the coming years.
The contract was signed by SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev and NIGEC General Director Javad Oji.
Azerbaijan and Iran are connected with the Astara-Bind-Biand gas pipeline length 1,474.5 kilometers, including 296.5 kilometers in the territory of Azerbaijan. Its design capacity was 10 billion cubic meters a year; now it is lower. This route is a branch of the Gazakh-Astara-Iran pipeline commissioned in 1971. Three compressor stations, including in Gazi-Magomed, Aghdash and Gazakh, were built on its route. The transmission system is designed to pressure 55 atmospheres. The pipe's diameter is 1,200 mm.