SOCAR VP says Tanap construction “ahead of schedule”

The first 1,300-km section of the pipeline to deliver Azerbaijani gas to Turkey can be completed before the target of June 2018, Aliyev said in comments broadcast Wednesday on ANS television channel.

Aliyev said pipes for an 850-km section of the link have been manufactured already. A 600-km land corridor has been opened for the pipeline in eastern Turkey and 230-km of pipes have already been welded.

The 1,850-km pipeline is to export 6 bcm of natural gas a year to Turkey and 10 bcm to the European Union. The project led by SOCAR is estimated to cost over $11 billion.

Aliyev said Tanap is the largest infrastructure project currently being implemented anywhere in the world.

SOCAR’s partners in the project include BP and BOTAS.