Entering Nabucco project Azerbaijan will play an important role in transiting gas from the Central Asia to Europe, Reinhard Mitchek, the Nabucco Gas Pipeline International Managing Director, said to the second oil and gas trade and transport conference in Baku on 23 April.

Joining the project Azerbaijan will obtain several advantages. One of them is the maximizing the diversification of gas export portfolio. Moreover, Azerbaijan will acquire the first profit from sale of gas and service for its transportation, Mitchek said.

“Production from the Shah Deniz field will reach 13bln cu m of gas a year from 2013. The first delivery via Nabucco is also planned for this year,” Mitchek said.

Speaking of the peculiarities of Nabucco, Mitchek aid that the pipeline will ensure additional capacity of gas export to Europe, where the gas demand increases more and more, whilst production drops.

As to the volume of gas, there will be no problem with fulfillment of the pipeline, he assured.
Mitchek said that Russia’s South Stream project is not a rival for Nabucco.

“These are two different projects based on different sources. Russia is based on its gas, Turkmen and Kazakh gas. Furthermore, Europe will be in need of huge import in future,” he said.