Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 19 / Trend A.Badalova /
The cost of the Nabucco gas pipeline project designed to transport gas from the Caspian region and the Middle East to the EU countries can be revised upwards, said Reinhard Mitschek, Managing Director of NABUCCO Gas Pipeline International GmbH, EU business reported.
Mitschek said with international tension surrounding Iran's controversial nuclear programme, the Nabucco consortium had decided to divert a planned stretch of the pipeline from the Islamic republic to Iraq instead, which was equally rich in gas.
"That will add a further 550 kilometres (342 miles), meaning it will measure 3,900 kilometres (2,420 miles) in total," he said.
While the changes have not been officially confirmed by the consortium, the estimated costs are likely to be revised upwards to reflect the increased length.
In August 2010, the Nabucco shareholders agreed on a modification of the feeder line concept at a meeting in Ankara. Two feeder lines were approved and the respective engineering works were ordered. The feeder lines will run to the Turkish-Georgian and Turkish-Iraqi borders.
To date, the pipeline's estimated length stood at 3300 km.
The construction of Nabucco pipeline will to start in 2012 and the first supplies is expected in 2015. The project's participants include the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE.