Belgian Fluxys intends to join TAP till August

Belgian gas transport company Fluxys could buy a share in the trans-Adriatic gas pipeline project (TAP) till August 2013, said Kjetil Tungland, TAP Managing Director.

He said BP, French Total and State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) could get shares next month. Fluxys will most likely join the project in August 2013, Tungland told Reuters.

Walter Perar, General Director of Belgian operator, confirmed that Fluxys is going to close a deal "as soon as possible." "Participation in TAP coincides with our strategy of unification of the markets and will ensure reliability of energy deliveries and the market liquidity in Europe," he said.

On February 13, 2013 in Athens Greece, Albania and Italy signed the intergovernmental agreement to build TAP, which envisages transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the western Europe through these countries. The project partners include Swiss Axpo company with 42.5% shares, German E.ON Ruhrgas with 15%, Norwegian Statoil with 42.5%, which owns 25.5% in the Azerbaijani Shah-Deniz project.

It is planned to deliver 16 billion cub.m. of gas a year via TAP, of which 6 billion will be exported to Turkey and about 10 billion cub.m. to the European markets - Greece, Italy and Bulgaria. If necessary, carrying capacity of TAP could be increased at the expense of construction of compressor stations.-0--