From the source:
"Armenia would like to take part in the construction and negotiations over the matter are under way now. However, they produced no results so far", he [Oskanyan] said. The minister said Armenia should make all possible efforts not to be left on sidelines, since participation in the project will enable the country to diversify its energy system.Look at the above map and note why Armenia would very much like to take part in this project!
The project is estimated to cost $2.5bln to 3bln. The two-thousand-kilometer gas pipeline will start from Turkmenistan and cross Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Source: Arka
2 comments:
This is Not Going To Happen.
Pipelines are part of the reason the Russians are leaning so hard on Georgia. The BTC pipeline doesn't just drain Azerbaijan; it taps the Central Asian oil fields too, via tanker across the Caspian. The gas pipelines, same-same, though they'd have to use a seabottom pipeline instead of tankers to cross the Caspian.
So, in order to get a pipeline, Armenia would have to
1) settle the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute with Azerbaijan, and get the Azeri and Turkish borders open;
and
2) convince the Russians to allow a second trans-Caucasus pipeline route, over territory that is entirely out of their control.
Both of these are theoretically possible. But for both of them to happen... well, it's like rolling double sixes twice in a row. It can happen, but it's not the way to bet.
I would bet $100 that ten years from now, Armenia will not have an international oil pipeline, with the possible exception of a small spur line down from Georgia.
Doug M.
It seems to me they are interested in at least building some parts and shipping them over. But I do agree with you overall.
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