BP, Statoil intrigued by Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline
By JACOB GRONHOLT-PEDERSEN
MOSCOW -- UK oil major BP and Norway's Statoil are interested in joining the Trans-Anatolian pipeline project to carry Central Asian natural gas across Turkey to Europe, the head of Azerbaijan's state oil company Socar said Wednesday.
Socar and Turkey's Botas are proposing to build a pipeline to carry gas from Azerbaijan's huge Shah Deniz field across Turkey.
The pipeline would compete with the European Union-backed Nabucco project.
Socar, which holds a 80% stake in the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline project, which is known as Tanap, is willing to sell part of its stake and BP and Statoil have shown interest, said Socar's chief executive Rovnaq Abdullayev.
Only companies that can contribute gas for the pipeline will be eligible to become partners in Tanap, Abdullayev said. Both BP and Statoil are shareholders in Shah Deniz.
A BP spokesman said the company had been asked by Socar whether it might be interested in taking a share in the project and that it is "considering the proposal."
Statoil wasn't immediately available for comment.
Abdullayev also said countries, including Ukraine, have also shown interest in joining the project.
Dow Jones Newswires
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