June 2009 Vol. 236 No. 6

Projects

Kazakhstan Signs On To Russian Pipeline Plan

Kazakhstan has signed an agreement to participate in a planned trans-Russia gas pipeline that would have an approximate capacity of 26-30 Bcm, and could divert potential supplies away from the European Union’s proposed Nabucco project.

Kazakhstan’s agreement with Russia and Turkmenistan came shortly after the country, along with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, refused to sign a finalizing agreement to speed up work on the Nabucco pipeline at a recent Prague summit.

The trans-Russia pipeline is expected to increase Turkmen and Uzbek gas exports, and could transport up to an additional 10 Bcm/a of Turkmen gas, and the same volume of Kazakh supplies. It has been reported that the project could become operational by March 2010.