The Southern Gas Corridor is opening a new chapter in the way energy is supplied, and Turkey is helping to write that story as one of the great transport hubs of the world, said BP CEO Bob Dudley.
He made the remarks during the 22nd World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul, Turkey.
“One of BP’s largest partnership projects, the Southern Gas Corridor, will bring a further 6 billion cubic meters a year of gas from [Azerbaijan’s] giant Shah Deniz field in the Caspian to industrial customers across Turkey, as well as supplying an extra 10 billion cubic meters a year to EU markets,” said Dudley.
He pointed out that of the 3,500 kilometers of pipeline, 1,850 – more than half – are being laid in Turkey.
“The advantages of natural gas are clear and at BP we are evolving our production portfolio to contain a larger proportion of gas,” said the CEO. “Six out of the seven major projects coming on-stream this year will produce gas.”
The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.
At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.
As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans Adriatic Pipeline.