Trend: TAP vs. Nabucco West confrontation may end amicably

In a month, the Shah Deniz consortium will make a final decision on an export route for transporting Azerbaijani gas to Europe. The gas production volumes from the second phase of the Shah Deniz field development stated by the consortium hit 16 billion cubic meters, of which only 10 billion are intended for Europe. So, today one has to choose one of two projects - the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) which follows a Greece-Albania-Italy route or Nabucco West via Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to Austria, as this gas volume can fill only one pipe and there are no other real volumes today.

Both projects have undergone much and have done a lot to prove their commercial viability and strategic importance. Both projects are beneficial for Azerbaijan and the Shah Deniz consortium in terms of diversifying the supply routes. Both of them are also very important for Europe in terms of its energy security.

Experts and officials have repeatedly voiced their opinions about the possibility and expediency of choosing both projects. For example, Steve Garlick, BP Strategic Functioning Group manager, recently voiced this opinion in Athens.  MORE