South Caucasus pipeline to reach 65 billion cubic meters of capacity

Capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Gas Pipeline to transport Shah Deniz gas of the Caspian Sea will total 65 billion cubic meters annually, as stated by Azerbaijani Deputy Minister for Industry and Energy at the international conference entitled «Bridge Founding» in Baku, Business Georgia reports.

A deal with BP states that the initial capacity will total up to 35 billion cubic meters of gas annually and will be extended to 60 billion in the future. It would give Azerbaijan a bigger role in European energy security.

The pipeline will transport 2.2 billion cubic meters in the first half of 2012, compared with 2.4 billion in January-June 2011.

The pipeline will exceed 700 km in length. Georgia and Turkey receive the gas supplies. Azerbaijan is also a gas purchaser.

Adapted from Vestnik Kavkaza