Azernews.Az

ANKARA – Kazakhstan does not have enough gas to transport through the European-backed Nabucco pipeline, Kazakh ambassador in Ankara Canseyit Tuymebayev was quoted by Turkish media as saying.

Tuymebayev said that though the Central Asian state’s reserves are immense, its gas production would not suffice for the Nabucco project. Kazakhstan currently extracts 15 billion cubic meters of gas per year, of which 10bn cubic meters is consumed domestically, while the remaining 4-5bn cubic meters is exported to neighboring countries under the standing agreements.

Tuymebayev added, however, that if production increases, Kazakh gas exports via Nabucco may be considered.

The 3,300-kilometer Nabucco pipeline seeking to export Caspian and Central Asian gas to European markets bypassing Russia is expected to come online in 2015. Maximal capacity of the pipeline will be 31 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are considered potential suppliers for the Nabucco pipeline.

Tuymebayev also said Kazakhstan could increase the volume of its oil pumped through the BP-operated Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which runs through Georgia and Turkey.

"Kazakhstan’s oil production is rising by the year, therefore, the volume of Kazakh crude transported via the BTC may be raised."