Today.Az » Business » Azerbaijan to build new pipeline to export gas to Iran
12 February 2010 [16:57] - Today.Az
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) intends to build a new pipeline to export gas to Iran, Azerigas PU First Deputy Nazim Samadzade said.
"Presently, the work on the project on a new Sangachal-Azadkend-Astara pipeline is underway," he said. "It is expected that construction of new pipeline will begin in 2010."
According to him, the designed capacity of a new pipeline length 200 kilometer will be 18 million cubic meters of gas (6.57 billion cubic meters per year). The decision to build a new pipeline was made due to the fact that the existing gas pipeline connecting Azerbaijan and Iran, designed to transport gas under low pressure, which makes it impossible to increase gas exports to the South.
It is expected to complete the construction in 2012. It will be constructed at the expense of SOCAR's funds. Currently, daily volume of Azerbaijani gas transported to Iran, is 1.2-1.3 million cubic meters.
These entire amounts are supplied under the swap operations to meet the needs of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
In late February, it is planned to begin commercial export of the Azerbaijani gas to Iran under the previously signed contract. Volume, which will be put under commercial export, will be daily 1.2-1.5 million cubic meters of gas.
Along with the gas intended for Nakhchivan, total transfers to Iran will amount to 2.6-2.7 million cubic meters of gas per day.
The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and NIGEC signed a short-term contract on Azerbaijani gas supplies to Iran in January. The contract covers supplying Azerbaijani gas to Iran until March-April of 2010, totaling about 100 million cubic meters (1.2 million cubic meters of gas per day). Supplies will be delivered in the northern Iranian regions, which are removed from the main gas fields.
Azerbaijan and Iran are connected with the Gazi-Magomed-Astara-Bind-Biand gas pipeline length 1,474.5 kilometers, including 296.5 kilometers in the territory of Azerbaijan. Its design capacity was 10 billion cubic meters a year, now it is lower. This route is a branch of the Gazakh-Astara-Iran pipeline commissioned in 1971. Three compressor stations, including in Gazi-Magomed, Aghdash and Gazakh, were built on its route. The transmission system is designed to pressure 55 atmospheres. The pipe's diameter is 1200 mm.
/Trend Capital/
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