Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 11 / Trend A. Badalova /
The lack of a broad resource base remains the main sticking point for the Southern Corridor, editor-in-chief at Eurasia Energy Observer Andrej Tibold said.
"There is just not sufficient gas available to supply Nabucco for the time being," Tibold told Trend via e-mail. "With the development of new fields in Azerbaijan, such as Umid, and future gas from Turkmenistan, there could eventually be a sufficient resource base for Nabucco. But that, however, would most likely be after 2020."
Nabucco gas pipeline project involves the gas supply from the Caspian region and Middle East to the EU. 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. Construction of gas pipeline is planned to be launched in 2013, the first supplies - in 2017. Maximal capacity of the pipeline will hit 31 billion cubic meters per year.
As for Shah Deniz-2, Azerbaijan will have to opt between ITGI and TAP, he said.
Gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz-2 project is regarded as the main source for the TAP project. The Shah Deniz field's overall reserves are estimated at 1.2 trillion cubic meters of gas.
The Shah Deniz consortium expects to receive from various pipeline projects, including the TAP, specific proposals by Oct.1, 2011. The gas transportation route will be selected by late 2011.
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is a natural gas pipeline project. The pipeline will transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and further into western Europe. The project is aimed at enhancing security of supply as well as diversification of gas supplies for the European markets. TAP will open a new so-called Southern Gas Corridor to Europe and establish a new market outlet for natural gas from the Caspian Sea.
ITGI gas pipeline (Turkey-Greece-Italy) involves gas supplies from the Caspian region and the Middle East to the EU countries. It includes updated Turkish pipeline infrastructure and also ITG projects such as the Turkey-Greece junction pipeline and IGI. Its planned capacity is 11.8 billion cubic meters per year.