Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 21 /Trend A.Badalova/
Nabucco project is optimistic about the speedy decision by the consortium developing the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field on the pipeline selection, Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH Managing Director Reinhard Mitschek said in his interview with Trend.
"We are optimistic that the partners in Shah Deniz consortium will take a decision as soon as possible," Mitschek said.
He noted that whenever gas from the second stage of Shah Deniz field development will come on stream, Nabucco pipeline will be ready to transport it.
Mitschek said that the chances of the Nabucco project to be chosen by Shah Deniz consortium and to be realized are very high.
"We have a very competitive offer for a scalable Nabucco project with the prospective for growth," he said.
He also stressed that the legal framework for the project which is based on the ratified intergovernmental agreement and the Project Support Agreements, is the best solution for suppliers and shippers.
Nabucco gas pipeline project is a multisource project designed to transport gas from the Caspian region and Middle east to the European countries. Nabucco project is planned to start construction in 2013 and the first supplies will be commissioned in 2017. The total length of the pipeline is 3900 kilometres with a maximum capacity of 31 billion cubic metres per year. The project's partners include the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and the German RWE.
Gas which will be produced during the second stage of Shah Deniz field development is considered as the main source for Nabucco project. According to the Shah-Deniz-2 project, Azerbaijan plans to transport gas to Europe at a volume of 10 billion cubic meters.
Mitschek also said that he is optimistic that besides the gas from Shah Deniz-2 project, there will be much more Azerbaijani gas to be transported to Turkey and to the European countries.
Mitschek also considers other sources like Iraq and Turkmenistan as promising.
On Oct. 1, Nabucco with the other pipeline projects (TAP, ITGI) submitted their final proposals to the Azerbaijani side, which will review them in accordance with the previously announced criteria. The decision on the preferable transportation route is expected to be made till the first quarter of 2012.