Iraq, not Iran, for Nabucco

ANKARA, Turkey, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Natural gas from northern Iraq could be a more realistic option than Iran for supplies for the Nabucco gas pipeline, energy analysts said.

Iran and Turkey reached a series of recent deals in the energy sector. Turkey aims to position itself as a major energy hub, signing off on the Nabucco and South Stream natural gas pipelines.

Europe sees Nabucco as the foundation to its effort to diversify the regional energy sector. Despite political backing, however, the project lacks firm commitments from potential gas suppliers.

Iran sits on some of the largest gas deposits in the world and is quick to point to its resource capacity in the face of crippling Western-backed economic sanctions.

Nevertheless, Faruk Demir, an energy-security expert and procurement manager at BP, said Iran will not be ready to supply natural gas to Nabucco in time for its scheduled 2014 completion date.

Demir said, however, it was "highly likely" natural gas from northern Iraq could come online for Nabucco in time, reports Turkish daily Today's Zaman.

Meanwhile, Demir noted increased activity in Turkey as the planned Nabucco Turkey Co. announced staffing needs for pre-construction work slated for January.