Thread: GEORGIA PROMOTE WHITE STREAM why we armed Georgia

AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA PROMOTE WHITE STREAM HOPES
4/02/09

Energy officials from Georgia and Azerbaijan, along with other stakeholders in a proposed trans-Black Sea natural gas pipeline, sought to rally international support for the project during a Tbilisi conference on April 2.

The project, known as White Stream, envisages the construction of a new conduit from the existing South Caucasus Pipeline to the Georgian hamlet of Supsa, near the Black Sea coast. From Supsa, a 650-kilometer-long pipeline would pass under the Black Sea’s seabed to deliver gas to the Romanian port of Constanta. Another option calls for the pipeline to come onshore at Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and then proceed under the sea to Romania and further into Europe.

Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri emerged optimistic from the conference to tell Georgian journalists that recent problems with Russian gas deliveries to Europe have breathed new life into the project. Gilauri did not elaborate.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, speaking during an April 1 visit to Georgia, repeated Baku’s standard position that Azerbaijan has sufficient resources to supply the growing number of gas transit options via Georgia.

At the project’s initial stage, Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field would be expected to supply the White Stream pipeline with gas, but the involvement of Central Asian natural gas powerhouse Turkmenistan is seen as crucial to the project’s long-term sustainability. Turkmenistan, far more sympathetic to Russia than either Azerbaijan or Georgia is, has so far shown only a lukewarm interest in the project.

Posted April 2, 2009 © Eurasianet
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Progress of the White Stream gas pipeline project a presentation to the 2 nd Gas Forum Giorgi ... Development momentum has accelerated significantly since the 1 st Gas Forum

http://www.energy-community.org/pls/por ... /36260.PDF

Georgian government, White Stream Pipeline Company Limited sign memorandum
03.04.09 18:00


Georgia, Tbilisi, April 3 /Trend Capital, N. Kirtskhalia/

Georgian government and White Stream Pipeline Company Limited signed a memorandum on mutual understanding regarding the White Stream gas pipeline project on April 3.

The "White Stream" project envisages pumping gas to Romania and Ukraine and to the Central Europe in future. The gas will be supplied to Black Sea Supsa port via the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline and onwards to Romania via the seabed pipeline.

"Georgia and EU are interested in taking joint actions to launch south gas corridor. The corridor will transport gas to the European countries. The project calls for increasing energy security via diversification of energy routes and sources. It also envisages rapid and effective development of Caspian Sea natural resources which will contribute to the realization of the Nabucco project alongside with other energy projects," Georgian Energy Minister Alexander Khetaguri said.

"The memorandum envisages mutual cooperation between the Georgian government and White Stream Pipeline Company Limited. Both sides are interested in cooperation to implement the gas pipeline project," Georgian Deputy Energy Minister Nino Yenukidze said.

The "White Stream" project envisages pumping gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field through Georgia via the Black Sea to Ukraine and European Union (EU) countries.

Under developers' conception, the pipeline should connect to the South Caucasus gas pipeline near Tbilisi and pass 100 kilometers via Georgia to the Black Sea. Then, roughly 650 kilometers of pipeline should reach the Crimea and further - via Theodosia to connect with Ukraine's transit system. An alternative plan envisages extending an underwater pipeline to Romania.

At the first stage, the pipeline's initial capacity will be 8 billion cubic meters of gas per year. In this case, the gas pipeline will be fully provided with gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field. Later, "White Stream" can connect with the Transcaspian gas pipeline. In this case, the second line of the pipeline will be laid via the Caspian Sea and White Stream's capacity will increase to 24-32 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

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