Azerbaijan, Baku, 25 July / Trend corr. S.Aliyev / The Azerbaijani State Oil Company (SOCAR) is to extend the number of subscribers in 30 gas-distributing to 250,000 through its company SOCAR Georgia in Georgian networks, Mahir Mammadov, the head of the SOCAR Georgia, said. As a result the gas usage will be increased from 45mln cu m to 350mln cu m per year (18% or 20% of Georgian's currently gas usage).
At present, SOCAR Georgia and the Economic Development Ministry are discussing transformation of networks. SOCAR will invest about $40mln to develop networks. About $9mln is needed to rehabilitate the current networks, which cover almost the whole territory of Georgia except Tbilisi. SOCAR has its own gas to develop in its own fields.
According to SOCAR Georgia, the tariffs for sold gas from networks will be regulated and to affect commercial activity. At present, SOCAR holds negotiations to obtain managing in Marneuiligas distributing network. " Georgia has a constructive position regarding this issue," Mamadov said.
Azerbaijan will deliver about 600mln cu m gas to Georgia - 1.3mln or 1.5mln cu m gas per day, produced from SOCAR's fields until the end of 2008.
SOCAR has already own investment infrastructural projects in Georgia including to construct oil terminal in Kulevi in the Black Sea coast.
About 1mln cu m gas per day has been delivered from the Azerbaijani gas field Shah Daniz produced by consortium of foreign companies.
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