Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed yesterday an intergovernmental agreement on Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP). Other documents on the project were signed by Minister of Industry and Energy Natig Aliyev and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz, and President of SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) Rovnag Abdullayev and BOTAŞ Deputy Director General Mehmet Konuk.

Capacity of TANAP designed to export Azeri gas to western regions of Turkey and Europe will reach 16 bn cu m a year, of which 10 bn cu m are intended for delivery to Europe. The pipeline is currently estimated in $7 bn. TANAP is expected to enter into service in 6 years.

By signing the agreement with Turkey, Azerbaijan, in fact, chose the route for export of gas from Shah Deniz field in Europe: TANAP will finish on the Turkish-Bulgarian border. This effectively eliminates TAP Project from the number of the competitors for Azeri gas export to Europe. Projects Nabucco West and SEEP (South-East European Gas Pipeline) still remain in the "game". Azeri gas supplies will begin in 2017.

27.06.2012 09:21