Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 21 / Trend V. Zhavoronkova /
The proposed Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) if scaled may effectively match the original Nabucco proposal, Robert M Cutler, a senior research fellow at the Institute of European, Russian & Eurasian Studies at Carleton University said.
"The most recent idea for TANAP suggests that it is scaled up from 16-18 billion cubic meters per yer (bcm/y) to 30 bcm/y, which effectively matches the original Nabucco proposal for 31 bcm/y," Cutler told Trend via e-mail.
TANAP is a proposed Azerbaijan-Turkish project which envisages a construction of a pipeline from the eastern border of Turkey to the country's western border. Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the consortium that will build the gas pipeline. The cost of TANAP will be set by SOCAR and may be close to the figure of $5 billion.
Theexpert said that the recent exploration of gas fields in Azerbaijan's offshore Apsheron, Babek, Nakhichevan, Umit and Zafar-Mashal blocks does make it possible to proceed in the longer run with TANAP, without depending upon gas from Turkmenistan.
Azerbaijan considers three proposals on the transportation of gas to Europe - Nabucco, TAP and SEEP.
Along with Azerbaijan, Iraq and Turkmenistan are considered by Europe as a potential fuel supplier in the Nabucco gas pipeline project. In order to supply Turkmen gas to Azerbaijan the sides consider the Trans Caspian gas pipeline (TCGP) project. The Trans Caspian project involves laying a pipeline through the seabed from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan.
"The prospects and chances for TCGP implementation are no better nor worse than before and they depend, as always, upon details of the bilateral Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan negotations, which the European Council is now formally facilitating," Cutler added. .