TURKMENISTAN TO PARTICIPATE IN NABUCCO PROJECT?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
11.07.2009 12:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkmenistan has enough gas reserves for
the realization of Nabucco project aimed at delivering Caspian
basin natural gas to Europe, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly
Berdimuhamedov finds.

In an enlarged government session, President said that the country
had colossal gas reserves, as shown by last year’s independent audit
of natural gas fields and Turkmen geologists’ recent findings.

Speaking about tank gas surplus, President said that it might be
realized by consumers on state border.

"All that will enable us to implement various projects, including
Nabucco," President said.

Resumed early this year after the outbreak of Russian-Ukrainian gas
conflict, negotiations over Nabucco provide long-term guarantees for
gas supply. It is planned to launch pipeline construction in 2011 and
start gas delivery in 2014. Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran
and Iraq are among potential energy sources within project frameworks.

Objecting to Iran’s participation in Nabucco, United States is in
favor of gas delivery from Iraq.

On July 13, representatives from Turkey, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary
and Romania will meet in Ankara to sign intergovernmental agreement
over Nabucco project.

Nabucco project (estimated $7,9 billion) is aimed at delivering
natural gas to European countries via Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey,
Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Austria. Forming the continuation of
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum pipeline, it will deliver 20-30 cubic metres of
gas annually.

EU allocations to Nabucco were initially estimated $250 million but
the sum was later reduced to $50 million, Novosti-Azerbaijan reports.