Turkey to share Caspian gas quota with Georgia, Azerbaijan

The energy ministers of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey met in Tbilisi Friday to discuss a possible increase in gas supplies to Georgia through the South Caucasus Pipeline, passing from the Shah-Deniz gas and condensate field to Turkey via Georgia.

"During the negotiations, the sides agreed that part of Turkey's quota will be redistributed between Georgia and Azerbaijan," Georgian Energy Minister Nika Gilauri said.

Georgia turned to its neighbors for additional gas supplies after Russia said it would double the current the gas price for Tbilisi to $230 per 1,000 cubic meters from 2007 amid worsening bilateral relations.

The South Caucasus (Baku-Tblisi-Erzerum) Pipeline will start pumping gas from Shah-Deniz on December 15. The Turkish quota for 2007 was originally set at 2.8 billion cu m.

Gilauri said the terms of supplies in 2007 had yet to be agreed.

"Experts will meet next week in Baku to decide on the figures," the minister said.

Gilauri said earlier Friday that Georgia would be provided with an additional 10 million cu m of Azerbaijan's gas via the South Caucasus Pipeline before the end of this year.

"Natural gas will begin flowing to Georgia from Shah-Deniz from December 15, and supplies will total 10 million cu m by the end of the year," he said.

In 2007, Georgia hopes to secure 1.5 billion cu m from Azerbaijan, or six times more than the figure set out in the original contract. The country's demand is estimated at 1.7-1.8 billion. RIA Novosti