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of the natural gas produced in the country.
Increase in Azerbaijan’s natural gas production is
expected to be delivered by the development of the
Shah Deniz offshore natural gas field. Shah Deniz
is located in the Caspian Sea, approximately 60
miles southeast of Baku, and is being developed by
the Shah Deniz consortium which include BP,
Statoil, SOCAR, LukAgip, NICO, TotalFinaElf
and TPAO. It is one of the largest natural gas field
discovered in last 20 years and contains reserves of
14 to 35 tcf.
9
Furthermore, Baku expects 2006 oil revenues
of $ 650 million and more figure that is predicted
to reach $ 15 billion annually by 2025. As oil
began to flow through the BTC pipeline in May,
Azerbaijan President Aliyev stated, “It will brings
us on the one hand huge economic benefits, and
on the other hand great political capital”.
10
Currently, BP is also behind the construction
of the South Caucasus pipeline. The part of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas line traverse the
same route as the BTC. This route carries gas
from the huge Shanh Deniz fields in the Caspian
to Georgia and Turkey. Recently, BP Azerbaijan’s
President David Woodword stated that the
reserves in Shah Deniz estimated at 400 bcm
should be sufficient to satisfy the domestic needs
of Azerbaijan and Georgia by 2012.
The “Gas war” between Russia and Ukraine in
early 2006 briefly interrupted the supplies to
Europe, which in turn awoke the world to the
increasing importance of Central Asian natural gas
for European energy security. The Gazprom-
Turkmenistan price lift had direct implications for
Ukraine. Energy supplies from Azer’s Caspian
fields are playing an increasingly important role in
the region, as Russian State controlled Gazprom
suddenly increased the prices of gas to $ 235 per
1000 cubic meter from year 2007. Russians are
using vast energy resources of oil and gas as a
political tool to punish the Former Soviet Union
republics western leading policies.
Israel imports its 20 % of oil from Azerbaijan
which would increase via BTC. Israel currently
gets much of its oil through Tipline, which
extends from Ashkelon on the Mediterranean
coast to Eilat on the Gulf of Aquba and leads into
the Red Sea. According to last years plans, oil and
gas would be transported to Israel by a proposed
passage Ceyhan-Ashkelon-Eilat. Such a corridor
would be controlled by Israel, which many
consider a forseable prospect for West. It would
allow the shipment of Caspian and Central Asia
gas and oil to Asian markets including India,
Japan, and South Korea, thereby bypassing Russia
entirely.
Another project, to begin in next five years,
envisaged to bring Caspian gas to Europe via
Georgia and the seabed of the Black Sea in the
first phase, and connecting that line to a Trans
Caspian Pipeline in a follow-up phase. Georgian-
Ukraine–European Union (GUEU) gas pipeline is
projected to carry 8 bcm of gas annually in the
first phase from Azerbaijan’s giant Shah Deniz
offshore field. The GUEU targets Poland via the
Black Sea and Ukraine with a relatively modest
first phase volume.
The highly challenging seabed section from
Georgia to the Crimea can use the experience
gained in laying the Blue Stream gas pipeline
from Russia to Turkey on the seabed of the Black
Sea. This pipelines can, if succeeds, provide
politically safe and shortest export outlet for
Caspian gas to European consumer countries.
11
The main oil pipelines and its route are of the
hottest issues of this time. The various powers are
trying to settle the question of the oil pipeline
according to their own geopolitical interests. The
north and west are the only routes through which
it can be accessed. Before the Caspian pipeline
consortium was built by multinational oil
companies, Transneft, the Russian state owned
company provided the sole pipeline transit route
for Kazakh oil. Karachaganak Integrated
Organization (KIO), which was a consortium led
by BP and Agip (Italy), was developing the
Karachaganak field. While a substantial portion of
Kazakhstan oil is headed west to European market
and to some extent to northern Iran through swap
deals, as of now only a small quantity is hipped
from the eastern Caspian shores of Kazakhstan by
rail. Another possible emerging route for Kazakh
oil export goes through Afghanistan and Pakistan
and is supported by Turkmenistan. This pipeline
would provide a new southern export option for
Kazakhstan.
Foreign investment in the country’s oil industry
is one of the main factors responsible for
Kazakhstan’s economic growth. Before this,
however, Kazakhstan need to resolve major issues
that involves its ownership rights to Caspian
offshore fields and to establish export routes for
its oil. Currently Kazakhstan gas from Karaghnada
is being exported to Russia. Similarly some of oil
from Kashagan is transported through CPC.
Another route will have to be established before
production can reach to peak level. Development
of offshore resources in the Caspian Sea has been
slowed by the ongoing dispute among the littoral
states over ownership rights. Over the disputed
claims of ownership between Azerbaijan and Iran
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