By Azernews

Azerbaijan has exported 2.6 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe in the first quarter of this year, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov wrote on his official Twitter page.

He added that Azerbaijan also exported 2.2 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey and 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas to Georgia during the said period.

Earlier it was reported that Azerbaijan increased its gas production by 13.5 percent in the first quarter of 2022. The national gas output totaled 11.8 billion cubic meters. In addition, natural gas consumption in the country increased by 9.3 percent and amounted to about 4.8 billion cubic meters.

To recall, with the completion of the TAP (Trans-Adriatic Pipeline) construction on December 31, 2020, Azerbaijan began commercial gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor.  The European Commission's Southern Gas Corridor initiative aims to build a natural gas supply route from the Caspian and Middle Eastern regions to Europe.  The route from Azerbaijan to Europe consists of the South Caucasus Pipeline, the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP), and TAP.

Last year, TAP transported 8.1 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. By late 2022, Azerbaijan plans to increase gas supplies to Europe to 9.1 billion cubic meters, and in 2023 the volume of gas supplies is expected to reach 11 billion cubic meters.

According to the forecast of the Azerbaijani government for oil and gas production in the country until 2026, about 48 billion cubic meters of gas will be produced in 2023, 49 billion cubic meters in 2024 and about 50 billion cubic meters in 2025.