Media: Azerbaijani gas supplies to Serbia expected to resume soon, government sources say

Reliable government sources have informed AnewZ that reports of a two-month suspension of gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Serbia are inaccurate.

While gas flow has been temporarily reduced due to a technical issue at the Shah Deniz Alpha platform, they assured that the Shah Deniz Bravo platform remains fully operational, ensuring continuity of exports. Supplies are expected to resume very soon, Caliber.Az informs.

Earlier, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that gas flows from Azerbaijan had been halted due to force majeure, impacting the daily delivery of 1.7 million cubic metres of gas. However, government sources dispute his assumption that it will take one or two months for supplies to resume, emphasising that the situation is under control and temporary.

BP confirmed that the issue at Shah Deniz Alpha is isolated, with no damage to the pipeline or environmental impact. As a precaution, operations at the platform were temporarily suspended. However, BP reassured stakeholders that this has not compromised the operational integrity of the Shah Deniz field.

The Shah Deniz Bravo platform continues to operate at full capacity, allowing gas deliveries to Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and European markets to remain largely unaffected. Bulgarian officials reported a brief suspension of contracted gas supplies earlier this week, but these have already resumed.

Azerbaijan’s gas plays a key role in Serbia’s energy security. Serbia consumes over 3 billion cubic metres of gas annually, with 400 million cubic metres contracted from Azerbaijan starting this year. The rest of Serbia’s gas comes from Russia, but the country is under pressure to reduce its reliance on Russian energy supplies as it works towards joining the European Union.

Both government and BP sources assure that efforts are underway to resolve the technical issue at Shah Deniz Alpha as swiftly as possible. The Shah Deniz project remains a critical component of Europe’s energy diversification strategy, ensuring stable and reliable gas supplies to the region.