Turkmenistan to participate in Nabucco project?

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkmenistan has enough gas reserves for the realization of Nabucco project aimed at delivering Caspian basin natural gas to Europe, Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov finds.



In an enlarged government session, President said that the country had colossal gas reserves, as shown by last year's independent audit of natural gas fields and Turkmen geologists' recent findings.



Speaking about tank gas surplus, President said that it might be realized by consumers on state border.



"All that will enable us to implement various projects, including Nabucco," President said.



Resumed early this year after the outbreak of Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict, negotiations over Nabucco provide long-term guarantees for gas supply. It is planned to launch pipeline construction in 2011 and start gas delivery in 2014. Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Iraq are among potential energy sources within project frameworks.



Objecting to Iran's participation in Nabucco, United States is in favor of gas delivery from Iraq.



On July 13, representatives from Turkey, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania will meet in Ankara to sign intergovernmental agreement over Nabucco project.



Nabucco project (estimated $7,9 billion) is aimed at delivering natural gas to European countries via Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Austria. Forming the continuation of Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum pipeline, it will deliver 20-30 cubic metres of gas annually.



EU allocations to Nabucco were initially estimated $250 million but the sum was later reduced to $50 million, Novosti-Azerbaijan reports.