State commission for Azerbaijani gas deliveries to Europe created

On October 29, 2013 Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to create the State Commission to implement the following projects: wide-scale development of the Shah-Deniz gas condensate field, expanding of the South Caucasian gas pipeline, trans-Anadolu (TANAP) and trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP), which will simplify delivery of Azerbaijani gas to the world markets.

The decree reads that discovery of the gas condensate-rich field Shah-Deniz  and concluding of the contract between State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and famous world companies to develop the field in 1996 has created conditions for attraction of foreign investments into the country’s economy.

The delivery of gas to Georgia and Turkey via the South Caucasian gas pipeline after commencement of the Shah-Deniz Phase-1 had turned a new page in the history of Azerbaijan’s oil industry and turned the country into the gas exporter.

The decree reads that it is planned to create the infrastructure, which will ensure export of the growing volume of gas to Turkey and Europe as a part of development of the Shah-Deniz Phase 2. 

Azerbaijan and Turkey ratified the agreement on TANAP signed between the two countries’ governments   on July 26, 2012.

The gas pipeline has a political and economic importance, because it could be potentially used to deliver gas from the Shah-Deniz and other Azerbaijani fields to the world markets.

Development of the gas fields, which demand huge investments, and implementation of the gas transportation projects require urgent organizational measures, reads the decree.

  The goal of the Commission is protect Azerbaijan’s interests in these projects and to provide favorable conditions to the project partners.

Azerbaijani Vice Premier Yagub Eyubov has been appointed the Commission chairman.

The Commission is also comprised of Ali Asadov, assistant of Azerbaijani president, deputy chief of the presidential administration, Energy Minister Natig Aliyev, Minister of Economy and Industry Shahin Mustafayev, Finance Minister Samir Sharifov, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Huseyngulu Bagirov, SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev and Shahmar Movsumov, Executive Director of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ). 

The Commission will coordinate the works with the project partners and efficiently solve the arising problems, work out and submit the proposals on the taken measures to Azerbaijani President and regularly inform president about the course of works.—0—