Articles related to "Europe's southern gas corridor: The great pipeline race"

Nabucco West and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the two companies competing for Azerbaijani gas projects, have issued simultaneous statements today (29 March) that they have submitted the final package supporting their bids. The Shah Deniz consortium will chose between the two in June.

The EU's Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger welcomed the signature today (13 February) of an agreement between the governments of Italy, Albania and Greece to build the Trans-Adriatic pipeline TAP, as a possible component of the Southern gas corridor linking the EU to the resource-rich Caspian region.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP ) group has agreed offer up to 50% of its shares to the Shah Deniz gas consortium - made up of Azerbaijan's state gas company SOCAR and leading European energy partners. The deal follows the rival Nabucco pipeline's recent decision to give the Caspian Sea gas consortium the chance to acquire half of its shares.

Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II gas group could agree to take a 50% stake in the Nabucco pipeline consortium by January, boosting Nabucco's prospects in a competition between projects that aim to pipe Azeri offshore gas into Europe.

The construction of the offshore section of the South Stream pipeline is due to officially start today (7 December) with a ceremony near the Russian Black Sea town of Anapa in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger has reportedly declined the invitation to attend.

Attempts to accelerate the Gazprom-sponsored South Stream gas pipeline project will not circumvent EU antitrust and environmental obligations, European Commission sources told EurActiv.

The Nabucco West project still has a chance of winning the contest to transport gas from Azerbaijan to European countries, even after a rival consortium signed a funding deal, an executive of the country's state oil firm said.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have signed an agreement to build the Trans-Anatolia Gas Pipeline (TANAP), a move welcomed by the European Commission as a major step towards completing the Southern Gas Corridor project.

Russia’s gas export monopoly Gazprom has abandoned plans to increase sales to Europe in 2012, saying it faced stiffer than expected competition from LNG and lower spot market prices. However, the state-owned company said it would meet its planned earnings targets thanks to higher prices charged to consumers.

Azerbaijan has eliminated one of the main competitors bidding for the gas of the Shah Deniz II offshore field, apparently over concerns that one of project's partners, Greek gas company DEPA, would not be able to carry on with the project.

Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom has restricted supplies to Europe, its largest foreign market, to cover an increase in domestic demand caused by a cold snap. 

Azerbaijan has delayed until March 2012 a decision on which bidder will get natural gas produced as part of the Shah Deniz field's second stage. Nabucco and three other pipeline projects are competing in the auction and results were expected this month.

Competitors in the race to give life to the 'Southern gas corridor,' aimed at supplying Europe with non-Russian gas sources, have all lodged bids to obtain the 10 billion cubic meters per year which will be available from the offshore Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has submitted "99% of the applications needed for its construction," according to a company source, apparently establishing the project as a frontrunner in the race for Azeri gas ahead a 1 October deadline for the submission of transportation offers to the consortium exploiting the Shah Deniz II gas field.

Russian energy giant Gazprom held an event in Brussels yesterday (25 May) to promote its South Stream gas pipeline but failed to answer questions about the project, which is seen as a competitor to the EU's own Nabucco plan.

Upset by Turkish procrastination over the offshore section of the South Stream pipeline, Russia is warning that it may give up on the project altogether. But experts said Moscow could not afford to lose face over what is seen as the biggest political pipeline project of modern times.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and Plinacro Ltd., a natural gas transmission system operator in Croatia, signed an agreement on Friday (25 February) providing for a future extension of the planned gas pipeline to Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia.

Pressure is growing on the Nabucco consortium to reveal its hand over its tender for Azeri gas. The winner, to be announced in April, will be master of Europe's Southern Gas Corridor, designed to bring gas from sources other than Russia.

Araz Azimov, deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan, said yesterday (2 November) that the Eastern Partnership, the EU's initiative for developing relations with its Eastern neigbours, was not adequate to address geopolitical challenges in the Caucasus.