Azerbaijan, Baku, July 17 /Trend E.Ismayilov/
As of July 17, State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) daily exports four million cubic meters of gas to Russia, which is the same value compared to June 21, a source at SOCAR told Trend.
"Supply of gas to Russia is carried out in accordance with the contract and daily rates are at the level of four million cubic meters now," the source said.
Azerbaijani gas supplies to Russia started from Jan. 1, 2010. Azerbaijani supplies its gas to Russia based on the gas sale contract signed between SOCAR and Gazprom in Baku on Oct.14, 2009.
According to an addendum to the contract signed in early September 2010, Gazprom was supposed to receive 2 billion cubic meters in 2011, and over 2 billion in 2012. However, the Russian side did not receive the full amount of the planned volumes last year. An additional agreement to double the gas volume purchased by Russia was signed by
the parties in Sochi on Jan.24, 2012.
According to the source, gas supplies to Iran under swap operations continue.
"One million cubic meters of gas is currently supplied to Iran every day to meet the needs of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in gas," the source said.
Azerbaijan and Iran are connected with the 1,474.5 kilometer-long Gazi Magomed Astara Bind Biand gas pipeline. This route is a branch of the Gazakh-Astara-Iran pipeline commissioned in 1971. Its capacity has dropped from its previous 10 billion cubic meters a year. Three compressor stations, Gazi-Magomed, Agdash and Gazakh, were built. The diameter of the pipeline is 1,200 millimeters.
On the issue of gas export to Georgia by SOCAR, a source said that gas exports to the West are not restored yet. The gas supply to Georgia was suspended in May.
"In summer, natural gas consumption is reduced and at the initiative of the Georgian side the export of Azerbaijani gas is temporarily suspended. When the need arises, the gas supply will be restored at the request of Georgian side," the source said.
SOCAR supplies its own gas to Georgia within its activity on the Georgian market via a pipeline linking the two countries in the Gazakh region of Azerbaijan. The pumping capacity via the pipeline is about 3 billion cubic meters of gas per year.