Azerbaijan diversifies geography of gas supplies, SOCAR president says

Azerbaijan has expanded the geography of its natural gas exports, with destinations now including not only Europe, Georgia and Türkiye, but also Serbia, Rovshan Najaf, President of Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company (SOCAR), has stated.

Speaking at the Baku Energy Forum, Najaf said Azerbaijan’s advantage lies in its ability to provide additional gas volumes while ensuring stable supplies, adding that Azerbaijani gas is currently one of the most reliable sources of energy in the region, Caliber.Az reports.

Najaf stressed that SOCAR, together with its partners, must advance production plans in line with existing programs in order to increase supply volumes to regional partners.

According to him, one of the key priorities is the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor, which would enable greater exports to Europe.

However, he noted that expansion of the corridor depends on cooperation and commitments from European partners in the form of long-term gas purchase agreements and financing.

On upstream developments, Najaf pointed to ongoing and upcoming projects, including the Shah Deniz compression project (SDC), as well as the first non-associated gas production from the Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli (ACG) field.

He also highlighted projects such as Babek and the full-scale development of the Absheron field, saying they will bring new gas volumes to market for both domestic consumption and export.

Najaf added that over the coming decades, Azerbaijan will continue expanding production and ensuring stable supplies to its partners.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov