SOCAR: Classic Nabucco Still an Option

SOCAR has publicly disagreed with an assessment by BP that the original Nabucco route is off the table for the Shah Deniz-2 gas project.

Speaking in an interview with Austrian newspaper Die Presse, deputy head of SOCAR Elshad Nassirov said that the opinion put forth by BP refining and marketing chief Iain Conn last week did not reflect the views of SOCAR.

"We informed BP that we do not agree with this comment," he told the newspaper. "BP apologised and described the comment as a private opinion."

Last week, Mr. Conn said that there were two options under consideration for the central European transportation of gas from Shah Deniz-2, the South East Europe Pipeline (SEEP) and the revised version of the Nabucco project submitted last week, Nabucco West.

However, Mr. Nassirov said uncertainty about other projects meant that his company still considered the full Nabucco route to be a viable option.

"For us Nabucco is still an option because the proposed alternative Trans Anatolian (TANAP) pipeline through Turkey is so far just a concept," he said.

Should the Trans Anatolian pipeline be chosen, the Nabucco West project might still have a place in the mix, he said, with a "50/50 chance" it would be selected to link with the TANAP project.