Turkmenistan Says to Give EU More Gas than Nabucco Can Handle

Nabucco might be drawing gas from Turkmenistan in addition to Azerbaijan and Iraqi Kurdistan. Map by nabucco-pipeline.com

Turkmenistan is ready to provide the EU with some 40 billion cubic meter of natural gas annually for the Nabucco gas pipeline project.

This has been made clear by Turkmenistan's First Deputy Prime Minister Baymurad Khojamukhamedov who spoke at the "Oil and Gas Turkmenistan-2010" forum attended by about 700 delegates from 36 countries, reported the International Business Times.

Khojamukhamedov pledged there would be an agreement on constructing a trans-Caspian pipeline along the bottom of the sea to transport Turkmen gas across the Caspian to Azerbaijan where it would be fed into pipelines linking up with the Nabucco pipeline.

In his words, a pipeline from gas fields in Eastern Turkmenistan to the Caspian Sea was already under construction.

Turkmenistan's Deputy PM made it clear that it had 40 billion cubic meters of spare natural gas annually to offer the EU.

"Taking into account domestic demand in the west of the country and supplies from there to Iran, we will have 40 billion cubic meters of gas free every year, so European countries need not worry," he said.

This amount is larger than the projected capacity of 31 billion cubic meters of gas annually which Nabucco is supposed to transfer from the Middle East, the Caucasus, and the Caspian Region through Turkey into Bulgaria and the rest of the EU.

"It's very good news for us that others supported this initiative," he added. "It supports our president's policy of diversifying export markets for Turkmen natural gas and we are bringing these plans to life. Today, we are selling gas to Iran, China and Russia and talks on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline are moving at a fast pace. This initiative now opens up one more direction - across the Caspian Sea - and the opportunity to sell our hydrocarbons on the European market," explained Khojamukhamedov.

Turkmenistan has not formally committed yet to any supplies for Nabucco even though its officials have mentioned the 3300-km long EU pipe as part of the country's scheme to diversify its markets.

Turkmenistan's support as a gas supplier could prove to be key for Nabucco because the project has been seriously questioned over the lack of potential sources. As of now, after its expected completion in 2014, it is expected to draw gas from Iraqi Kurdistan and Azerbaijan.

The race between Nabucco and its rival Russian sponsored project South Stream appears to be tightening after last week Bulgaria and Russia signed a key deal for the construction of the South Stream section on Bulgarian soil.

Bulgaria, which is a crucial participant in both projects, has lent support for both Nabucco and South Stream.

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