Azerbaijan, Baku, June 8 / Trend A.Badalova /
The ITGI project is the top option for opening the Southern Gas Corridor, DEPA Chairman and CEO Harry Sachinis said on Wednesday at the 18th International Caspian Oil and Gas, Refining & Petrochemicals Exhibition and Conference in Baku.
"We believe the ITGI system can contribute to the development of the Southern Energy Corridor" as it is the most mature project," Sachinis said.
He said the Nabucco project could become the second stage of the development of the Southern Corridor, and to be connected to it subsequently, in combination with ITGI.
The Southern Energy Corridor will significantly increase regional security and supply diversification, he stressed.
There are plenty of gas resources, but the only gas that can be exported to Europe, it is natural gas from Azerbaijan, Sachinis said.
Sachinis believes demand for Azerbaijani gas will grow significantly.
The start of the ITGI pipeline operation is scheduled for 2017 - the start of a gas production under the second stage of the Shah-Deniz field, which is the main resource base at the initial stage of the Southern Corridor.
The Southern Corridor is a priority EU energy project which will diversify energy supply routes and sources, and increase EU energy security. The Southern Corridor includes the Nabucco gas pipeline, Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), White Stream, and ITGI (Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline).