Azerbaijan, Iran plan reciprocal gas exports in Sep 2005

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
September 2, 2004

BAKU, Sept 2 (Prime-Tass) — Azerbaijan and Iran plan to start
reciprocal exports of natural gas next September, the President
of Azeri state gas company Azerigaz Alikhan Melikov told reporters
Thursday.

According to this plan Azerbaijan is to get 50 million cubic meters
of natural gas from Iran by the end of 2005 and 250 million cubic
meters of gas in 2006, while in 2008 gas exports to Azerbaijan are
forecast at 350 million cubic meters. This gas is to be supplied to
Nakhichevan, an autonomous republic which is separated from Azerbaijan
by Armenia, which has a demand for natural gas of 350 billion cubic
meters per year.

Azeri gas exports to Iran are seen 15% higher than Iran’s gas exports
to Azerbaijan.

Melikov said that USD 20 million are to be spent on construction of
a 43-kilometer pipeline from Nakhichevan to Dzhulfa, a town on the
Iranian border, which will link the pipeline systems of both countries.

Another USD 17 million are to be spent on construction of gas
compressor stations, gas distribution stations, and other facilities
in Azerbaijan.

In the Soviet era natural gas supplies to Nakhichevan went through
Armenia, but they halted in 1992 due to a conflict between the two
countries. End

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress