Azerbaijan, Baku, July 26 / Trend A. Badalova /
Azerbaijan does not believe that Trans-Caspian pipeline, proposed for transportation of Turkmen gas to Europe, may be built soon, Reuters reported with reference to Azerbaijani Industry and Energy Minister Natiq Aliyev. According to Aliyev, Azerbaijan is not interested in investing in this project.
"I do not think the Trans-Caspian pipeline will happen any time soon," Aliyev told journalists. "Who will construct Trans-Caspian pipeline ? Azerbaijan is not interested. It has to be Turkmenistan that builds the Trans-Caspian pipeline , or European companies."
Trans-Caspian gas pipeline running to around 300 kilometres will be laid from the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijani, where it will be linked to the Southern Gas Corridor. Negotiations between Turkmenistan and the EU and other countries on the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline have been on-going since the late 90s.
In September, 2011 the EU Council gave a mandate for negotiations between the EU, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to build the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline.
However, later, Iran and Russia expressed negative attitude toward this project. Tehran and Moscow think that the pipeline construction will damage the Caspian Sea environment.
Talking about Azerbaijan's gas export potential, Aliyev said that the country expects to increase it to more than 30 billion cubic metres (dcm) per year by 2030. According to Aliyev, gas exports can be further increased even to 50 bcm.
"I think that if our programmes are successful...in 2030, we can produce for export more than 30 bcm of gas per year," Aliyev said.
According to Aliyev, Azerbaijan can produce 30 bcm in the second phase of Shah Deniz field development alone.
He also added that more gas would come from other fields.