Page 16 - FSUOGM Week 05 2023

FSUOGM NEWS IN BRIEF FSUOGM

Turkey suspends operations at the TAP gas pipeline to its gas system by his position as head of SOCAR last year
Rovnag Abdullayev was removed from
building interconnectors and developing
Ceyhan oil export terminal as a gas network in the eastern region, and has since been appointed as a deputy
particularly in the city of Korca.
economy minister, in a position considered
country comes to terms with second 10 bcm that Azerbaijan will export to be less influential. Azerbaijan's President
Albania plans to reserve volumes of the
Ilham Aliyev has hinted at corruption at
two huge earthquakes to Europe after the expansion of the TAP SOCAR, mentioning the need for "active
reforms" and "new management" in a speech
gas pipeline. The TAP pipeline is designed
Operations at Ceyhan, a major oil export to transport 10 bcm of natural gas annually in April. Rovnag Abdullayev has denied
terminal on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, from the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan to any knowledge or interest in allegations of
were on February 6 suspended amid a Europe and is expected to have a capacity of corruption at SOCAR and claimed that the
declared national state of emergency as a 20 bcm by 2027. Azerbaijani gas supplies to allegations do not reflect the truth.
precaution as the country came to terms Europe amounted to 8.2 bcm in 2021, 11.4 When asked for comment, the
with the two huge, deadly earthquakes that bcm in 2022, and is projected at about 12 developer of the building, Finchatton, did
struck its southeast earlier in the day leaving bcm for 2023. not respond. Front desk staff at Twenty
thousands dead. Grosvenor Square confirmed that Rashad
Ceyhan receives crude from two major Abdullayev owns a flat in the building
cross-border pipelines, namely the Baku- Lavish London living: the $20mn and said they would deliver a letter to his
Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline that carries assistant.
oil from Azerbaijan across Georgia to flat owned by son of Azerbaijani
Turkey's Mediterranean coast and the
Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline that transports state oil company's former chief Romania’s Romgaz signs
oil from northern Iraq. Turkish pipeline
operator Botas said neither pipeline has Investigative journalism organization contract for “possible” imports
been damaged. OCCRP has uncovered a luxury London
The Ceyhan terminal exported just over flat worth $20 million owned by Rashad of Azeri gas
1mn b/d of crude in January, according to Abdullayev, the son of the former head of
Vortexa, as cited by Argus. This included Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR, Romanian state-controlled gas company
around 665,000 b/d of Azerbaijani crude Rovnag Abdullayev. The source of the funds Romgaz (BVB: SNG) announced the
through the BTC and 395,000 b/d of Iraq's used to pay for the flat is unknown, and signing of a new “individual contract”
Kirkuk blend through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan. Rashad Abdullayev and his father have not under the framework agreement concluded
Operations at Turkey’s port of Dortyol, responded to requests for comment on the in November 2022 with Socar Trading, a
located across the Bay of Iskenderun matter. Rovnag Abdullayev has denied any subsidiary of the State Oil Company of the
from Ceyhan, were also suspended until involvement in the payment for his son's Republic of Azerbaijan.
further notice. Around 1.9mn tonnes of oil flat. The first individual contract was signed
products, LPG and biofuels were exported SOCAR’s annual reports show that the on December 16 and “allows for scheduled
from the port last year, while almost 3mn salaries and benefits for all the company’s gas deliveries starting with January 1st,
tonnes were imported, according to the executives, including the president, total less 2023, through the Southern Corridor.”
Vortexa data. than $800,000, making it unlikely that the It is not clear whether imports were
funds for the flat came solely from Rovnag actually carried out already.
Abdullayev’s official income. The younger The second individual contract “ensures
Albania expects to receive Abdullayev's current place of employment the possibility of gas deliveries up to 1
billion cm until March 2024 and shall enter
and income are also unknown.
700 mcm of gas per year from transparency advocates and anti-corruption in force on April 1st, 2023.”
SOCAR has been accused by
It “prolongs the contractual framework
Azerbaijan specialists of extreme secrecy, lack of established by the first individual contract
concluded by the companies at the end of
accountability, and unexplained financial
Baku and Tirana are exploring the dealings. OCCRP has previously reported last year.”
possibility of delivering 700 mcm of on efforts by SOCAR’s subsidiaries to The gas amounts exported by Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani gas to Albania annually, allegedly siphon $1.7 billion from a gas to Europe remain limited and not much
according to the Deputy Minister of Energy project and on apparent plots to enrich higher than those delivered to its strategic
and Infrastructure of Albania Ilir Bejtja, insiders. Gubad Ibadoghlu, an Azerbaijani partner, Turkey, alone.
who spoke to Azerbaijani TV channel - economist, has referred to SOCAR as In 2023, the country’s exports to Europe
CBC TV. Albania has three exit points from the "leading corrupt state company of will increase marginally to 11.6bn cubic
the TAP gas pipeline with a total capacity Azerbaijan". meters, from 11.3bn cubic meters in 2022.
of 7.5 bcm and is currently working on the In 2018, Rashad Abdullayev, then This means that the exports to European
possibility of delivering 700 mcm through 25, was involved in another affair that countries other than Romania will actually
the western point, which can supply gas to highlighted the family's wealth, when he decrease – assuming the 1bn cubic meters
the city of Vlora where a thermal power was reportedly robbed of a $1.35 million deliveries to Romania are more than a mere
plant is located. luxury watch in Ibiza. Rashad Abdullayev “possibility” but actual deliveries.
The plant originally ran on diesel fuel, tried to disassociate himself from the watch, For comparison, the exports of Azeri gas
but work is underway to switch it to natural claiming it did not belong to him. He has to Turkey is planned to rise by 19% to 10bn
gas, a process that will take time. Albania is also been seen driving a rare Mercedes cubic meters in 2023.
also working with SOCAR to better connect worth over $300,000 in London.

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