Azeri Gas Reserves Estimated at 6,000bn Cu.M. – Minister

Azerbaijan’s industry and energy minister has said that his country’s hydrocarbon reserves are large enough to provide Europe with alternative supplies of gas, Day.az website reports.

Speaking at an international conference in Baku on 2 October, Natiq Aliyev said that the offshore Sah Daniz, Alov-Araz-Sarq, Asrafi, Naxcivan, Dan Ulduzu and Azari-Ciraq-Gunasli fields contained no less than 6,000bn cu.m. of gas altogether.

“As an alternative to Russian gas Europe can receive gas from the Persian Gulf, Iraq and the Caspian region. However, of these regions only the Caspian and Azerbaijan seem more realistic today,” Day.az quoted Aliyev as saying. “Everybody is aware of the problems with gas deliveries from Iraq and the countries of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. But this cannot be said of Azerbaijan”.

In 2020 Azerbaijan expects to produce 30bn cu.m. of gas, Aliyev said.

The country’s annual demand for natural gas is 10bn cu.m.

The minister said that Azerbaijan was ready to join the NABUCCO gas pipeline project immediately. The project is designed to carry Central Asian gas to Europe via the Caspian seabed, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

Originally published by Day.az website, Baku, in Russian 0517 3 Oct 07.

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