VIENNA, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Getting natural gas from the Shah Deniz 2 gas field in Azerbaijan would be a good "first step" for the planned Nabucco project, a project official said.
Azerbaijan is weighing proposals for resources from its Shah Deniz 2 gas field from pipeline consortiums involved in the so-called Southern Corridor of transit networks.
Of those, the Nabucco pipeline would be the most ambitious and carry the largest volume of natural gas at an estimated 1 trillion cubic feet per year. Shah Deniz couldn't support Nabucco by itself, however.
Christian Dolezal, a spokesman for the Nabucco pipeline consortium, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty he recognized the difficulties with his project.
"Shah Deniz has a certain volume, that's true. But we also see there are additional volumes, first of all, available in Azerbaijan," he said. "And, in turn, this would be enough for a first step for Nabucco."
Turkey and Azerbaijan last week signed an agreement to get natural gas supplies to Europe, easing European concerns about its gas relationship with energy-rich Russia.
Russia cut gas through conventional routes to Europe through Ukraine in 2009 over contract disputes, forcing Europe to consider other transit options. RFE/RL notes Moscow is considering legal action against any Caspian activity, noting lingering border disputes between littoral states.
