Thu 19 November 2009 | 13:40 GMT Text size:

Elshad Nasirov

SOCAR vice president Elshad Nasirov threatened to start selling gas to Asian countries if Europe further lingers construction of the Nabucco gas pipeline which was to link Caspian states with EU bypassing Russia.

According izvestia.ru  Elshad Nasirov said “the situation is more serious than it may seem. It is better to sell gas at Asian prices than not to have an opportunity to sell it to Europe at western prices”.

Azerbaijan was planning to send its Shahdeniz gas to Europe by Nabucco gas pipeline. Yet the pipe to extend to more than 3,300 km has not been projected to the needed extent and has no required financial means. Meanwhile, Europe’s opportunity to get reserves directly from the Caspian Sea and reduce dependence on Russia is at stake. 

The energy corridor to the East widely opens from the Caspian Sea. Thus, a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China will be launched on 16 December. The highway extending to 1818 kilometers will pass via Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to Chinese Hogos. The project is estimated at $7.31 bn. Every year this pipe will supply 30 bn cu m of gas to China. Yet the pipeline capacity can be raised to 40 bn cu m. As is known from London’s City, Beijing is currently holding consultations with SOCAR that may lead to supply of Azeri gas to China by the new gas pipeline.

The analysts, questioned by Bloomberg, gave different assessments to the situation. “The reports about possible supply of the Caspian gas to China instead of saying: we will send it to you but via Russia, have a very great importance. Azerbaijan’s threats raise stakes”, Julian Li, chief analyst of the Center of Global Energy Studies, has said.

1news.az