Reuters: Azeri energy minister wants swift returns from pipeline to EU

Azerbaijan's energy minister confirmed he expects a decision by the end of this month on which of two rival pipeline projects will ship Azeri gas to Europe and said the decisive factor will be ensuring quick financial returns.

The Shah Deniz consortium, led by BP Plc, Norway's Statoil, Azeri firm SOCAR, and France's Total, is aiming to choose between the Nabucco West and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) projects, which offer different routes to EU gas markets. The consortium is developing the gas.

Energy Minister Natik Aliyev said delays in developing gas from Azerbaijan's giant Caspian field had increased the need for swift returns.

"In the short term, they (the consortium) have to get a return on their investment as quickly as possible," he told journalists on Monday on the sidelines of a conference in Vienna.  MORE