27-01-2012 12:35:11

Conference on AGRI gas project due in Georgia

A representative conference on the implementation of Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania gas transportation project (AGRI) will be held in Georgia in the nearest future, Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri told Georgian media at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"The EU shows great interest in this project," he said. "Therefore, the parties are in a hurry with the implementation. The project involves the export of liquefied Caspian gas to Romania through Georgia."

Prime Minister said that besides the countries participating in the project - Azerbaijan, Georgia and Romania, the EU, as well as Ukraine and the countries of Central Asia will attend the conference.

SC AGRI LNG Project Company SRL is preparing a feasibility study of the AGRI project on transit of Azerbaijani liquefied natural gas to Romania. According to the board of shareholders, the deadline for feasibility study is Jan. 31.

The participants in the project are SOCAR, the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation, as well as the MVM company (Hungary) and Romgaz (Romania).

Chairman of AGRI Board of Directors is SOCAR deputy vice-president on investment and marketing Vitaly Beylarbeyov.

The AGRI project envisages transporting Azerbaijani gas via pipelines to the Black Sea coast of Georgia, where the gas will be liquefied at a special terminal. The gas will then be delivered to a terminal at the Romanian port of Constanta via tankers.

The capacity of the AGRI Project is considered in three variants - 2 billion cubic meters of gas per year, 5 billion cubic meters and 8 billion cubic meters. According to preliminary data, depending on the project capacity, its costs will vary from 1.2 billion to 4.5 billion euros.

TAGS: Conference, Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania gas transportation project, Georgia, Nika Gilauri, World Economic Forum, Davos