Azerbaijan to export 1.2 billion bcm of gas to Syria through Turkey annually: Reuters

Azerbaijan will export 1.2 billion cubic metres of gas annually to Syria from the BP-operated Shah Deniz gas field in the Azeri Caspian Sea, a senior official at Azeri state energy company SOCAR told Reuters on Saturday.

SOCAR Vice President Elshad Nasirov was speaking in southern Turkey, close to the Syrian border, as Turkey and Azerbaijan launched natural gas exports to Syria. The launch was marked at a ceremony in the city of Kilis, attended by ministers and other officials from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Syria, and Qatar.

Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov said the project followed agreements in April and July between Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Syria's transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

Gas would be transported through Turkish territory to Syria under a coordinated arrangement, Jabbarov said.

“By launching gas exports to Syria, Azerbaijan has demonstrated that it is capable of exporting gas not only to the West, but also to the East and the South,” he said at the event.

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said deliveries were expected to reach around 6 million bcm per day, with the potential to supply up to 2 billion bcm annually in the first phase.

The gas would be used to restart power plants in Syria with a combined capacity of 1,200 megawatts, Bayraktar said.

Turkey, which supported rebel forces in Syria throughout the 13-year civil war that ended in December with the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, has become one of the new Syrian government's main foreign allies while positioning itself to be a major player in Syria's reconstruction.

Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad Al-Bashir said the gas supplies would support basic energy needs in areas affected by conflict.

Reuters