During 6 months, 2014 3.1 billion cub.m. of gas was exported via the Southern Caucasian gas pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE), reads the monthly report of the Azerbaijan State Statistical Committee.
According to the Committee, from January to June 2014 export of Azerbaijani gas from the Shah Deniz field totaled 2.1 billion cub.m.
A source from BP company (operator of Shah Deniz field) told Turan that two factors contributed to growth of export from Shah Deniz by 47.6%: the consortium has increased deliveries to the Turkish market and it started selling more commercial gas at the Georgian market.
The same source said that productivity of the wells on the Shah Deniz field could be considered high. The company receives 1.9 billion cub.m. of gas a year in average from one well. “This volume could be increased, but the consortium has problems with gas sales, because the current markets are limited.”
Georgia received only transit gas from transportation of the Shah-Deniz gas. The commercial deliveries to Georgia started only last year. This year the commercial deliveries are planned to be increased, because the Georgian market grows: SOCAR has been working to supply regions with gas.
In 2013 export of Azerbaijani gas from the Shah-Deniz field totaled 4.7 billion cub.m., up 700 million cub.m. against 2012. In 2011 gas export from the Shah Deniz field totaled 4.5 billion cub.m.
The main buyer of gas from the Shah Deniz field is Turkey. In early May the governmental newspaper Republic published the interview of Khoshbakht Yusifzada, SOCAR’s Senior Vice President, that out of total volume of 51 billion cub.m. of gas from the Shah Deniz field (end of 2006 till April 1, 2014) 27.4 billion cub.m. was exported to Turkey and 3.9 billion cub.m. to Georgia.
SOCAR buys the remaining volume from the consortium. SOCAR has gradually increased the volume of gas purchase from the consortium to maintain the Shah Deniz Phase 1 and strengthen SOCAR’s positions at the regional markets.
* The contract for Shah Deniz field development was signed in Baku on June 4, 1996 and ratified by the Milli Mejlis on October 17, 1996.
The Shah Deniz project partners include BP (operator with 28.8%), SOCAR (16.7%), Statoil (15.5%), LUKoil (10%), NICO (10%) and TPAO (19%).
