Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 11 / Trend A.Badalova /
Turkmenistan can be the additional resource base for the proposed Trans Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP), Editor-in-Chief at Eurasia Energy Observer, Andrej Tibold believes.
"The TANAP pipeline is envisaged as a scalable pipeline project, which allows it to increase its transport capacity gradually," Tibold wrote Trend via e-mail.
He believes that there are several options for TANAP's additional resource base, among which is Turkmenistan.
TANAP project envisages construction of the pipeline from the eastern border of Turkey to the country's western border to supply gas from Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas field to Europe through Turkey.
On June, 26 Azerbaijan and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement on TANAP implementation.
At present, a 20 per cent share in TANAP belongs to Turkish BOTAS, 80 per cent and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). The initial capacity of the pipeline is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters a year. About six billion cubic meters will be delivered to Turkey, and the rest - to Europe.
Earlier the Hurriyet newspaper reported with the reference to Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz, that TANAP was interested in Turkmen gas.
During the recent meeting of senior representatives of energy ministries of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger, which was held last week in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan expressed its interest to deliver gas to Europe. At the same time Azerbaijan confirmed that it continues being interested in the delivery as a transit country.