Azerbaijan hosts major energy expo

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Energy ministers and top oil executives are expected to attend an April conference in Azerbaijan on the oil and gas potential in the region, organizers said.

London's Confidence Energy will oversee the third Caspian oil and gas transport conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, to discuss the oil and gas potential in the region and the technological challenges in the sector.

Azeri Energy Minister Natig Aliyev said his country needs upgrades to regional transit routes if its resources held in the Shah Deniz gas field and the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli complex are to reach potential customers.

More than 150 representatives from the suppliers in the Caspian region, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as well as officials from the United States and the European Union, are expected to attend the event, the Trend Capital news agency reports.

Top energy officials from supermajor Chevron to regional oil and gas companies will outline the impact the oil and gas reserves in the region will have on world markets.

The Caspian region is seen as a major energy hub. Energy officials in Azerbaijan said that despite the global economic downturn, its international projects remain strong.