Azerbaijan, Baku, April 19 / Trend E. Ismayilov /
The work on preparing a feasibility study within the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector (AGRI) project is underway. It provides for supplying liquefied Azerbaijani gas to Romania via the Black Sea coast of Georgia, Deputy Minister of Industry and Energy Natig Abbasov said.
He said that important actions were taken within this project. At present, a feasibility study is under preparation.
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary and Romania signed "A Joint Declaration" on the AGRI project in Bucharest on Feb. 14, under which Hungary has become its full member. The signed document stressed the need to support the companies participating in the project in attracting the necessary funding for the feasibility study. The paper notes that under the increased work means finding the shortest route of delivery of Azerbaijani gas to European markets, the creation of Interconnector Romania - Hungary (Arad-Szeged).
Earlier, the joint venture was registered in Romania within the AGRI project. The joint company will prepare a feasibility study of the new project and seek funding. The company is being established in Romania.
The participants in the joint venture are the Romanian ROMGAZ, Oil and Gas Corporation of Georgia, SOCAR and MVM with a 25-percent equity participation.
Abbasov said that the work on preparing the feasibility study within the construction of the remaining part of the Odessa-Brody-Plock-Gdansk oil pipeline project is underway.
The Odessa-Brody pipeline has been already commissioned. It is under operation. Azerbaijani oil is transported through it to ensure supplies to Belarus refinery in Mozyr.
The International Pipeline Sarmatia Company operates to prepare a feasibility study for Brody Adam's Zastava (Plock) oil pipleine.
The Brody-Plotsk oil pipeline project was named as a priority project in the EU Infrastructure and Environment Operational Program.
About 495 million zlotys (about 177 million euro) were allocated to the project under the program.
The IPC must fulfill several conditions to obtain this funding.
Sarmatia was created on July 12, 2004, by Ukrtransnafta and Polish company PERN Przyjazn for attracting investment for the design and completion of the Odessa-Brody pipeline to Plotsk.
Sarmatia was created under an oil transportation project via the Odessa-Brody-Gdansk-Plotsk route. Sarmatia's participants include SOCAR, the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation Ltd. (GOGC), Ukrainian Ukrtransnafta, Polish Przedsiebiorstwo Eksploatacji Rurociagow Naftowych Przyjazn SA and Lithuanian AB Klaipedos Nafta with equity participation of 24.75 percent of key players and one percent in the Lithuanian company.