Azerbaijan, Baku, March 5 / Trend A. Badalova /
The consortium of "White Stream" gas pipeline hopes for fruitful cooperation with the Nabucco project and thinks that the parallel implementation of these projects will be the key to the success of the whole concept of the Southern Gas Corridor.
White Stream Pipeline Consortium chairman Roberto Pirani said that simultaneous realization of Nabucco and White Stream will benefit both projects, help to eliminate the transit risks and resolve the issue of filling the pipelines.
The success of the Southern Corridor will depend on reduction of transit risks which can be achieved via the concurrent development of Nabucco and White Stream, he told trend via e-mail.
"Obviously the bulk of Caspian gas will be transported via Turkey if the Southern Corridor is open," he said.
The previous 'Nabucco only' approach did not provide sufficient security of gas transportation to underpin upstream development, but this approach also left open the overall capacity issue downstream of the proposed Trans-Caspian Pipeline, he said.
The Trans-Caspian gas pipeline is an important component of the "Southern Corridor" project, which is expected to be laid through the bottom of the sea from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan.
The Trans-Caspian gas pipeline must be a continuation of the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP). Gas, extracted at the Azerbaijani offshore gas field Shah Deniz, is being transported through it. The length of the SCP is more than 700 kilometers. Gas is supplied to Georgia and Turkey through it.
However, people think that the capacity of SCP will be insufficient to transport Turkmen gas destined for European markets.
He said that laying the gas pipeline "White Stream" can solve this issue.
White Stream will, as you know, start in Sangachal and will be able to feed both the Trans-Black Sea White Stream section and Nabucco, therefore supplementing the capacity of the expanded SCP.
The Trans-Caucasus Interconnector of WS from Sangachal to Western Georgia, with its 16 bcma initial capacity can complement SCP projected throughput and supply needed additional gas to Nabucco at the Turkish-Georgian border, he said.
White Stream concurrent development will provide reassurance to Turkmenistan that it will be able to export a large quantity of gas to the EU. Nabucco is planning to take only 10 bcma which is not sufficient for Turkmenistan to proceed with TCGP, he said.
The confidence in non-monopolized combined export capacity available through White Stream and Nabucco will enable Turkmenistan to commit gas for westward transportation projects - Both Nabucco and White Stream - and will allow new strategic investments in onshore gas exploration and production in Turkmenistan. This option might also leave the door open for other gas producers to be tapped by the Southern Corridor, he added.
The concurrent development of White Stream can significantly contribute in facilitating a merger of ITGI and/ or TAP with Nabucco to their mutual benefit.
"White Stream" pipeline envisages transporting the Azerbaijani gas across the Black Sea from the Georgian Port of Supsa to the Romanian Port of Constanta and onward to other EU countries.
The initial capacity of White Stream will be 8 billion cubic meters per year, which will later be increased to 16 and then to 32 billion.
Implementation of the project consists of several stages, the first of which envisages the construction of an underwater pipeline from Georgia to Romania, which will be built via the Black Sea.
The total length of the pipeline will be 1,100 km via the sea. The pipeline will pass at a depth of 200 meters.
Nabucco gas pipeline project envisages transportation of gas from the Caspian region and the Middle East to the EU countries.
Construction of the Nabucco pipeline will be implemented in two main phases. The first phase of construction (2012) includes laying a new pipeline length of 2,000 kilometers, starting at the Turkish border and ending in Austria's Baumgarten. The second phase (2014-2015) includes the construction of the remainder of the pipeline on the border between Turkey and Georgia, as well as Turkey and Iraq.
Maximum capacity of the pipeline with length of 3,300 km will hit 31 billion cubic meters.
