Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 27
By Emil Ismayilov - Trend:
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) exported around one billion cubic meters of gas to Georgia in 2013, a source at SOCAR told Trend on Jan.27.
The volume of gas export to Georgia amounted to 993 million cubic meters in 2012 compared to 775 million cubic meters in 2011.
SOCAR supplies its gas to Georgia as part of its activity in the Georgian market through the pipeline connecting the two countries in Azerbaijan's Gazakh region. The volume of gas pumping through this pipeline amounts to around 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
Georgia Gas Company controls the gas distributing networks covering different regions of Georgia, through SOCAR.
Additionally, the gas supply to Iran under swap operations also continues, according to the source. Around 400 million cubic meters of gas was exported from Azerbaijan to Iran in 2013 as in 2012.
Azerbaijan and Iran merged the Gazi-Magomed-Astara-Bind-Biand gas pipeline running to a length of 1474.5 kilometres with 296.5 kilometres in Azerbaijan. This route is the branch of the Gazakh-Astara-Iran pipeline commissioned in 1971. Three compressor stations in Gazi-Magomed, Agdash and Gazakh were built on this road. The diameter of the pipeline is 1200 mm.
Azerbaijani doesn't supply commercial gas to Iran. However, Iran has repeatedly expressed its intention to purchase up to five billion cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan per year.
Translated by L.Z.
Edited by C.N.