Azerbaijan, Baku, June 9 /Trend, A.Badalova/
Partners on Shah Deniz gas field development in Azerbaijan's sector of the Caspian Sea consider a proposal to expand the Nabucco pipeline up to Baku.
"Shah-Deniz Consortium and the Nabucco Shareholders are discussing the option of expanding the Nabucco pipeline to Baku," Nabucco project representative Christian Dolezal told Trend.
Michael-Dieter Ulbrich, Head of International Pipeline Projects Department for Austrian firm OMV Gas & Power, told Trend that currently the partners to on the Shah Deniz field are considering a proposal to expand the Nabucco pipeline to Baku, which according to him, it would be a significant step.
"It was a proposal of the Nabucco shareholders, but no decision has been taken yet by the Shah Deniz Consortium," said Ulbrich.
"We think that it would be beneficial to have a direct link from the producers to the market," Ulbrich said.
Nabucco project envisages gas supplies from the Caspian region and the Middle East to the EU countries. The pipeline's maximum capacity will hit 31 billion cubic meters per year. Participants of the project are Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE companies. Each of participants has equal share to the amount of 16.67 percent.