The Dostluq field will help both Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan maintain liquid production in the short term, Rystad Energy’s upstream analyst Swapnil Babele told Report.
“This favorable outcome may rekindle discussions on the long-proposed Trans Caspian project, potentially opening new gas markets for Turkmenistan,” said Babele, adding that Turkmenistan is currently exporting gas primarily to China
The field further expands the exploration opportunities in the Caspian Sea.
“The field is close to Azerbaijan’s massive Azeri Chirag Guneshli field, giving Turkmenistan the option of transporting hydrocarbons generated from the field through existing Azerbaijani infrastructure,” he said.
On January 21, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on joint exploration and development of hydrocarbon resources of the Dostluq field in the Caspian Sea.
Turkmen Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mekan Ishanguliyev said that the development of the field in the future can give an impetus to implementing the construction of the Trans-Caspian pipeline.
The future underwater line envisages the delivery of gas from Turkmenistan (Turkmenbashy city) to Azerbaijan (Baku). Further, the fuel can be supplied to the existing Southern Gas Corridor - a network of gas pipelines from Azerbaijan to Georgia, Turkey, and further to Europe.