SOCAR Expects to Fully Cover Baku with Gas Stations by 2017

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) plans to fully cover Baku with a network of gas stations in 1-1.5 years. This statement was made today in the interview of the President of SOCAR Rovnag Abdullayev.

He said that the first gas station was built near the bus depot of the company Baku Bus and its opening is planned soon.

"We are building a second gas station in the Zabrat settlement. The future plans of SOCAR is to build such stations in all major highways of the country, every 180 km," said Abdullayev.

The head of the State Oil Company also added that in the future, SOCAR expects to increase the share of liquefied natural gas in the retail sale of petroleum products to 30-35%.

Note that SOCAR in December 2013 (when the country's oil product prices rose by an average of 32%) presented a project of the government of Azerbaijan "On reducing the consumption of petroleum products in the domestic market." According to this project, SOCAR offered gradual transition of public and commercial vehicles to compressed gas (CNG). As a result of such an action, first, the fuel consumption would be reduced, secondly, an ecologically good fuel would be applied, thirdly, the reduction of fuel costs would not let increase the prices of public services. Finally, the free volumes of diesel fuel could be sold in foreign markets at a higher price than in Azerbaijan.

However, as it can be seen, the process is going slowly and there is no certainty that SOCAR forecasts will become real by the beginning of 2017. -12C—