OREANDA-NEWS. June 04, 2009. State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has obtained breakthrough in negotiations with Turkey about conditions of Azeri gas transit to Europe through the Turkish territory.

SOCAR vice president Elshad Nasirov stated today at Caspian Oil & Gas 2009 Conference that completion of negotiations with Turkey was approaching.

“We’ve accorded with Turkish partners that will not interfere into solution of issues of production, volume of export and destination of natural gas to be carried from Azerbaijan to Europe through Turkey and will be accepted since 2010,” Nasirov said.

That has promoted much to negotiations on whole complex of gas export issues.

“We are close to agreement on prices and volumes of gas for Turkey to be supplied within Phase 2 of Shah Deniz Project (a gas condensate field in Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea). Progress is also observed on prices for gas supplied within Phase 1,” Nasirov said.

Turkey is a key country for beginning of Azeri gas supplies to European market as three projects of such export (pipelines Nabucco, ITGI and TAP) have relation to Turkey.

According to available estimates, Azerbaijan has potential for export of 30 bn cu m of gas a year to Europe for 30 years.