18 Nov 2022 14:35

Gazprom could supply up to 1 bcm of gas to Azerbaijan this winter

MOSCOW. Nov 18 (Interfax) - Gazprom could supply up to one billion cubic meters of gas to Azerbaijan this winter, the Russian state-owned company said in a statement.

"Deliveries of Russian gas to Azerbaijan began on November 15 as per the new gas sale-and purchase-agreement. Gazprom Export LLC and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) signed the document. Deliveries will continue until March 2023. The volume of supplies is up to one bcm of gas," Gazprom said in the statement.

As previously reported, Azerbaijan and Russia in 2021 agreed on cooperating in the area of seasonal exchange of natural gas. The agreement envisages supplying gas from Azerbaijan to Russia during the summer season and supplying similar volumes of gas from Russia to Azerbaijan during the winter season. The volume of supplies depends on the level of gas production and consumption in Azerbaijan in the summer months. The mechanism should allow the parties to optimize fully the use of their respective oil and gas infrastructures.

Gazprom supplied gas to Azerbaijan from 2000 to 2006, when deliveries ceased owing to the launch of the Shah-Deniz field. Azerbaijan supplied gas to Russia from 2010 to 2014. There were attempts in 2015 to arrange for Russian gas supplies to the Azerbaijan Methanol Plant (AzMeCo). Gazprom then supplied gas to Azerbaijan in 2017 and 2018.