The United State`s magazine "Wall Street Journal" has published an article on Azerbaijan`s role in Nabucco pipeline. The article says:
"Two decades after Azerbaijan emerged from the Soviet Union and began striking oil deals with Western companies, it faces vital decisions on its plans to exploit another energy resource: natural gas.
The fate of the giant Nabucco gas pipeline-a central plank of the European Union strategy to loosen Russia`s grip on Europe`s natural-gas market-hangs on those decisions.
One man with influence over that decision is Elshad Nassirov, vice president of the State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan, known as Socar. Socar has a 10% stake in the Shah Deniz consortium-smaller than the two 25.5% stakes held by BP PLC and by Norway`s state-controlled Statoil. But Socar's vote as the government`s representative is key to who will get Azerbaijan`s gas: 16 billion cubic meters a year, of which 10 billion cubic meters are set to flow to Europe.
"We don't want to have a deal to pay for capacity we don`t need," Mr. Nassirov said in an interview. BP, the operator of Shah Deniz, has expressed a similar view.
Socar would prefer a smaller pipeline that could be expanded later to meet additional capacity, Mr. Nassirov said. He said the state company is considering becoming a shareholder in the pipeline in order to influence transit tariffs and other key decisions.
By year-end, Azerbaijan is expected to choose long-term buyers for the gas from its massive Shah Deniz II field, which lies deep under the Caspian with reserves of more than one trillion cubic meters.
Nabucco insists its project is the most advantageous in the long run, precisely because of its size.
Companies are set to make concrete offers for the purchase of gas volumes by October, leaving Socar and its partners in the Shah Deniz II consortium three months to make the decision.
Socar wants to sell the gas in as many European countries as possible, and get the best price. But Nabucco is designed to carry 31 billion cubic meters of gas, and two-thirds of the pipeline will likely remain empty until another supplier can fill the gap."

AzerTAc