Azernews.Az

By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz Field, enjoying around 1.2 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves, is one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world. Construction of a supply route to meet the ever-growing demands of Europe for “blue fuel” from the field is of great strategic importance for the global energy security.

Currently, the work is underway to construct the Southern Gas Corridor pipeline system designed to bring the Shah Deniz gas through Turkey to Europe.

The work on the delivery of Azerbaijani natural gas via the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) pipeline to Turkey is completed by 88 percent, said CEO of TANAP Saltuk Duzyol.

Duzyol, in an interview with Azertac, reminded that the work on TANAP project is carried out in two phases.

The phase-0 stipulates the laying of a 56-inch pipeline with a length of 1,334 km, as well as construction of 2 measurement stations, one main line and one compressor station. Within this phase, the pipeline is being built from the Turkish-Georgian border to the Eskisehir Province. It is planned to complete the work by the end of June 2018 and ensure first supply of gas. First year Turkey will get 2 billion cubic meters of gas. Over the next three years, supplies will be increased to 6 billion cubic meters.

The phase-1 involves the laying of a 48-inch pipeline, the construction of two measuring stations and two 36-inch threads across the Dardanelles Strait.

He went on to say that as of August 1, 59.6 percent of the work within the Phase-1 has been completed, adding that about 80 percent of all work over the TANAP project has been already implemented.

TANAP will be first tested in January next year. Stressing that gas supplies to Europe are expected to begin in 2020, Duzyol said the work is planned to be completed by mid-2019.

Further he mentioned that 10,357 people are involved in the construction of TANAP.

The construction work of the natural gas pipeline from Azerbaijan through Georgia and Turkey was launched in March 2015. TANAP will tie into the existing South Caucasus pipeline that already supplies Azerbaijani gas to Georgia and east Turkey, and transport gas over a distance of 1,850km to Turkey’s western border with the EU. From there, gas is expected to enter the planned Trans-Adriatic Pipeline crossing Greece and Albania to Italy.

TANAP shareholders are South Gas Corridor CJSC with 58 percent stake in the project, Turkey's pipeline operator BOTAŞ-30 percent and BP-12percent.

Initially, the 3,500km SGC network will transport gas from the giant Shah Deniz field, but could in future draw supplies from other Caspian and Central Asian countries and even the Middle East, changing the energy map of the whole region.

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