Nabucco Confident of Gas Supply

Speaking with FOCUS News Agency, Dimitar Abadzhiev, Nabucco Gas Pipeline International’s head of corporate affairs is confident of gas deliveies of the proposed pipeline.

Abadzhiev says the pipeline is scheduled to come into operation in 2015 and at that time it would have some 18 million cubic meters of natural gas – 10 million cubic meters from Iraq and 8 million cubic meters probably from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz II field. Nabucco’s full capacity of 31 million cubic meters is expected to get filled up by 2018, he says.

Abadzhiev pointed to Iraq as the most evident source, given its large gas fields and shared border with Nabucco partner Turkey.

Iraq has lately emerged as a significant potential contributor to Nabucco following the discovery of vast gas reserves particularly in the Kurdish-run north. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said last year that Iraq was ready to contribute 15 billion cubic meters to the project.

But challenges remain in Nabucco’s dealings with Iraq. The country has unresolved internal disputes over power and revenue sharing. The country has yet to adopt necessary legislation that would pave the way for energy exports from the north amid Kurdish demands for recognition of more federal rights on power and revenue sharing.

Speaking at the Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum in Istanbul last week, Richard Morningstar, Special Envoy of the United States Secretary of State for Eurasian Energy, appeared to acknowledge that Iraq will remain excluded from the Europe-bound energy plans unless a deal is reached between Kurds and the Baghdad government.

“We recognize that this [Kurdish participation in the southern corridor] cannot and should not happen without an agreement between Baghdad and Arbil. We hope that this will occur. We hope a compromise can be found,” he said.