Hungary, Budapest, 31 October / Trend , corr. S.Aliyev/The gas consumption in Europe will growth by 14% and touch 820bln cu metres per year in the near future. EU 'new' member-countries will be of the most gas consumed, Philippe Hochart, the Vice President of the French GDF SUEZ company on the Caspian Region and Iran, said at the 3rd energy forum in Budapest.
"Despite of the gas delivery increasing and construction of reserves, the region will feel need in this fuel," Hochart said.
The Middle East and Caspian region will be new main gas suppliers to Europe. Gas fields in Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar with about 40% of gas resources, will be developed within 200 years.
"Europe tried to get gas from Iran in the past, but failed," Hochart said.
The gas from the Caspian region, first off all may be delivered from Azerbaijan from Shah Daniz field, which has been developed by consortium of foreign companies together with SOCAR.
According to BP, the proved gas resources in Azerbaijan exceed 1.3bln cu metres.
" Azerbaijan has sizeable gas resources. The Stage-2 of the Shah Daniz project will enable to increase gas production in the field to 10-20bln cu metres per year," Hochart said.
Calling 'large' the gas resources in Kazakhstan, Hochart said that there were about 4bln cu m of gas in the South Iolotan field.
"The gas delivery from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is of long-term perspective," Hochart said.
Investments are needed for efficient gas production. "Modern technologies are also of great demand, like Azerbaijan uses in the Shah Daniz field," the Vice President said.
The gas delivery countries first off all must provide their own domestic market in order to export gas from the Middle East and Caspian region. "If this will not happen like that, uncertainty will remain in Europe,' Hochart said.
The energy forum in Budapest was implemented by the 'East Investigation Institute'. The Trend news agency rendered information support to the forum.
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