Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.3
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR has supplied around 1.884 billion cubic meters of gas to Georgia as of December 2018, the company told Trend.
“While the volume of gas supplies by SOCAR to the Azerbaijani market exceeds the volume of gas production in the country, the company supplies Georgia primarily with the gas received from the third parties, as well as from international consortiums. SOCAR Georgia Gas has delivered around 1.884 billion cubic meters of gas to Georgia as of December 2018, which is by 91 million cubic meters more than in the same period of 2017,” said the company.
In general, SOCAR said that 2018 was a very important year for the company’s operation in Georgia.
“Ten years have passed since the start of our active involvement in Georgia. Over the ten years of our activity, we have fulfilled the program for gas supply to 300,000 families during the period agreed with the Georgian government. We continue to develop,” said the state oil company.
SOCAR said that in 2018, it implemented such an interesting project as Virtual Gas Pipeline in Georgia for the first time.
“The Virtual Gas Pipeline is a method of gas supply to mountainous, difficult-to-reach regions, where it is almost impossible to build a gas pipeline. That’s to say, gas will be transported to settlements in special containers, instead of the pipeline,” the company said.
The company said that the pilot project was implemented in Sairme.
“Sairme is a well-known resort center with unique mineral waters. Our innovative solution gave an additional impetus to the development of tourism business in this region. Currently, we are considering several such projects,” said the company.
SOCAR provides Georgia with gas produced at Azerbaijani fields with its own funds without participation of foreign companies. Moreover, Georgia receives Azerbaijani gas produced at Shah Deniz offshore field with participation of SOCAR and foreign companies.
Currently, SOCAR is the major supplier of natural gas, oil and petroleum products to Georgia. SOCAR’s subsidiaries are engaged in expansion and modernization of the country’s gas distribution systems, development of gas filling stations under SOCAR’s brand name and have an oil terminal in Georgia’s Kulevi Black Sea Port, which transships Azerbaijani oil and oil products to world markets.
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