Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 10 / Trend , E.Ismayilov, M. Aliyev /
Azerbaijan will be able to deliver roughly 40 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe for the next 10 years, GUAM Secretary General Valeri Chechelashvili said at the international conference "Establishing relations across borders" in Baku on Monday. The conference is organized by the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly and the Baltic Assembly.
"The discovery of new gas fields in Azerbaijan opens new opportunities to diversify supplies," Chechelashvili said.
He said that Azerbaijan plans to produce 54 billion cubic meters of gas annually over the next ten years. The internal needs of the country hit 10-15 billion cubic meters. "This means that the country will be able to deliver 40 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe for the next ten years," he said.
GUAM Secretary General stressed the EU interest in diversifying the sources and routes of energy supplies.
"About 60-70 billion cubic meters of gas must be supplied to Europe from alternative sources," he said. "This is possible."
Energy issues are among the main ones. GUAM pays great attention to them.
Forecasts for Azerbaijan's gas production is 50 billion cubic meters a year by 2025, SOCAR First Vice-President on Geology, Geophysics and Mining Khoshbakht Yusifzade told journalists earlier.
Azerbaijan's domestic gas consumption will be 11-12 billion cubic meters by 2005. Thus, the country will have about 35 billion cubic meters of free gas.
Today's proven gas reserves in Azerbaijan are 2.55 trillion cubic meters, Yusifzade said.