Nabucco, TAP, and others – which pipeline will bring additional natural gas to Europe? Additional to the gas now transported through the Baltic from Russia to Germany. What Europe needs is more gas from diverse sources. The South corridor for Caspian fossil energy is needed. No doubt, it is useful and important to have a reliable partner delivering large quantities. But that alone is not enough. More is needed, from different sources.
Norway and Great Britain have delivered some quantities, but their sources are declining and will be mostly finished in 10 years only. Caspian natural gas could replace what is not coming in from those two countries, and more. Azerbaijan will open a new field, Shah Deniz II, to deliver to whatever project or pipeline. The decision will have to be made until december. 2011 is a decisive year for making strong decisions that will shape the gas strategy of Azerbaijan for decades – to the west, to the north, to far east or to the southeast.
