Azernews.Az

BAKU – A top US official has said Azerbaijan’s gas produced from the giant Shahdaniz field will be a key source for the planned Southern Corridor of pipelines and is crucial for the ambitious European Union-backed project seeking to diversify supply routes and sources of energy.

Richard Morningstar, US Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy, told a Caspian oil and gas conference in Baku Wednesday that to secure Shahdaniz gas, the financial and technical basis has been outlined by the Nabucco, Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), and Turkey-Greece-Italy (ITGI) projects -- all part of the Southern Corridor. Morningstar said the Obama administration supports all Southern Corridor routes in principle, but prefers the Nabucco pipeline, the biggest of the projects.

"Of these projects, Nabucco could be considered beneficial both politically and strategically," Morningstar said. "At the same time, its commercial viability is crucial."

Morningstar said the U.S. wants the countries of the Caspian region, particularly Azerbaijan, as well as Central Asian states, to find new markets to sell their gas, which would promote their economic growth and prosperity.

"These countries should make an independent choice about the use of their resources," he added.