Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline puts Nabucco project into doubt

LONDON, December 15 (Itar-Tass) - Plans on building a Nabucco gas
pipeline from Central Asia and the Caspian region to the European Union
were made increasingly volatile by the launching of the gas pipeline from
Turkmenistan via Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to China.
This opinion was expressed on Tuesday by an officer of the European
Commission in an interview with Itar-Tass.
"The European Union has clearly lost time to get an access to Turkmen
gas; China has outstripped us," he emphasised.
The trunk pipeline 1,833 kilometres long from Turkmen gas deposits to
the Chinese border is designed for annual deliveries of 40 billion cubic
metres of gas. It will reach its design throughput capacity even in 2012.
As a result, China will be one of the biggest consumers of Central
Asian gas. The launching of the new gas pipeline will lead to a situation
when the main flows of gas will go to Russia and China, while the European
Union will be left empty-handed, warn now independent experts from the
City of London.
European companies signed with Turkmenistan and other countries in the
region preliminary agreements on gas deliveries back in 2002 by a planned
Nabucco gas pipeline via the Turkish territory.
However, the broad discussion on the need to link the gas pipeline
with human rights in Central Asia countries, that started in EU governing
bodies, including the European Parliament, as well as doubts about
economic profitability of the route constantly shifted on time of
implementing this project.
In turn, China and Turkmenistan concluded an agreement on building the
gas pipeline in spring of 2006. It has been put into operation 3.5 years
later, while Nabucco exists only on paper and partially at that.
Brussels now notes that not a single EU company has contracts for
purchase of Turkmen gas by the year-end, which increases uncertainty of
the future of a Nabucco project.
London's Financial Times agrees with this opinion of EU experts. An
article, published by the newspaper on Tuesday, notes that the unveiling
of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-China gas pipeline is a blow to the
European Union's plans to get an access to Turkmen gas.
-0-bur/gor