Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov.14 / Trend E. Ismayilov /
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) intends to complete works within the implementation of a program of gasification of the Azerbaijani regions by late 2012, SOCAR head Rovnag Abdullayev said on Saturday.
According to him, the program envisages bringing the gasification level in the country to 90 percent. First the process of border regions' gasification will be completed. Also the process of gasification of villages of the Azerbaijani Agdam and Fizuli regions is under completion.
Starting next year, works will be launched on the gasification of all the villages of the Aran zone, Abdullayev said.
According to him, within one year, SOCAR has provided 120,000 gas customers of a group of population. In total, at present the number of subscribers in the country hits 1.2 million (it's both enterprises and the population).
Abdullayev also said that in the near future, SOCAR will sign a contract with one of the European companies submitting proposals on reconstruction of the whole gas system of Baku and Absheron Peninsula. Earlier, E. ON Ruhrgas and RWE have submitted their proposals under this project.
According to Abdullayev, at present the company considers these proposals.
Earlier SOCAR head Rovnag Abdullayev said that the gas system of Baku and the Absheron Peninsula is the largest in the country, covering 650,000 users. He said 90 percent of the existing infrastructure should be updated to renew the gas system in Baku and on the Absheron Peninsula.