President of SOCAR: Azerbaijan has very large gas reserves

Baku. 8 December. REPORT.AZ/ "There are no problems with the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor",  the president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Rovnag Abdullayev said to the journalists, Report informs.

Сommenting on the agreement between official Moscow and Istanbul on holding a new gas pipeline instead of "South Stream" R. Abdullayev  said that the new project will have no adverse effect on the supply of Azerbaijani gas to the world market. " Project" Shah Deniz "moves forward. The second phase of the project is being implemented successfully. A project of new line of South Caucasus pipeline was launched  and  supply of pipes has already started. A tender to supply pipes for the project TANAP was completed, tenders for the construction also coming to an end. The ceremony TANAP will be held in the first quarter of next year in Turkey.

TAP project is progressing as well. There is no delay. Azerbaijani gas will be transported to Europe via the South Caucasus Pipeline till 2046. All questions in this regard have already been solved. I believe that there are no problems in realization of this project. Nothing can have an impact on our projects",- the President of SOCAR concluded. 

"Special offers were also  prepared in the field "Umid", they will be discussed in March next year". 

Asked about the possibility of transporting Russian gas through TANAP, the Head of SOCAR said that there were no proposals in this regard.

R. Abdullayev also clarified the issue of acquisition of shares in SOCAR operator DESFA gas distribution network in Greece, noting that the project is no longer needed by the Greek government and the European Commission : "At the moment, the issues related to DESFA, considered by the European Commission on competition issues. The Greek government and the European Commission need this project more than we do. For us, this is the usual infrastructure project. This is a great project for a profit in the long run".

R. Abdullayev said that, the South Caucasus pipeline that is supposed to transport oil from "Shah Deniz" field through Georgia to the Georgian-Turkish border, is not a competitor for other pipelines: "Azerbaijani gas will be transported to Europe via the South Caucasus Pipeline till 2046. All questions in this regard have already been solved. I believe that there are no problems in realization of this project". R. Abdullayev added that Azerbaijan has a very large gas reserves.