Azerbaijan cuts gas supplies to Turkey

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    Azerbaijan supplied over 2.17 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey in January-April 2017, as compared to 2.26 billion cubic meters in January-April 2016, according to a report of Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK).

    In 2016, Azerbaijan supplied 6.48 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Turkey, as compared to 6.17 billion cubic meters in 2015.

    The report released on June 30 reads that Turkey imported 20.45 billion cubic meters of gas in January-April 2017, some 15.77 billion cubic meters of which were imported via pipelines, and 4.67 billion cubic meters accounted for the LNG (liquefied natural gas) import.

    Azerbaijan’s share in total volume of gas imported by Turkey stood at 10.63 percent in January-April 2017.

    Turkey imports gas from Azerbaijan via the South Caucasus Pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum).

    Turkey has a contract for the annual purchase of 6.6 billion cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan’s offshore Shah Deniz gas and condensate field.

    The contract for development of the Shah Deniz gas field was signed in Baku on June 4, 1996 and ratified by the Milli Majlis [Parliamnet] on October 17 of the same year.

    The Shah Deniz field is operated by BP, which has a share of 28.8 percent. Other partners include TPAO (19 percent), SOCAR (16.7 percent), Petronas(15.5 percent), LUKoil (10 percent) and NIOC (10 percent).

    The 692 kilometres South Caucasus Pipeline, which began operation at the end of 2006, transports gas from the Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea to Turkey, through Georgia.