US to support any pipeline coming through Southern Gas Corridor

The US will support any pipeline that will come through the Southern Gas Corridor, US State Department Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar told a press-conference in Baku, Azerbaijani news agency Trend reports.

However, Morningstar said that it will be preferable to choose a smaller pipeline at first, which could be further expanded as new gas volumes become available.

"It is important for the Shah-Deniz consortium to choose a smaller pipeline that can be expanded in the future," Morningstar said.

He stressed that the chosen pipeline should be commercial viable.

Talking about the Nabucco gas pipeline project, Morningstar said that the US continues to offer political support for this project.

"The realization of the project will be good from a political and strategic point of view," Morningstar said.

He said that if the Nabucco gas pipeline is built and US companies are involved in its construction, it's possible that the US Exim Bank would finance the participation of US companies.

With regard to the transportation of Iraqi gas through the Southern gas Corridor, Morningstar said that at the moment it is difficult to say when Iraqi gas will be available.

"But I am sure that some time in the future this (transportation of Iraqi gas) should happen," Morningstar said.