ENTSOG TYNDP 2017 - Main Report

3.3.4 OTHER POTENTIAL SOURCES

Other potentially interesting sources of gas supply for the future have been investigated but not included in the assessment. This is due to the fact there are currently no facilities to export this gas to Europe and no Final Investment Decision has been taken yet in any foreseen project, as a result they are still considered of high uncertainty. These potential sources are Israel, Egypt, Iran and Turkmenistan.

Russia Iran

Turkmenistan Qatar USA

Saudi Arabia

Venezuela UAE

Nigeria Algeria

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

bcm

Figure 3.52: Proved natural gas reserves worldwide by Country (Source: BP Statistical Report 2016)

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan ranks in the top countries with the largest gas reserves in the world. The idea of exporting gas from Turkmenistan through a Southern corridor to Europe is widely discussed but transmission infrastructures are still missing. A possible opportunity is the Trans Caspian Pipeline (TCP) which would connect Turkmenistan with Azerbaijan across the Caspian Sea, an area with a particular legal status. The White Stream Pipeline project could then transport the gas through the Black Sea to the European border with landfall in Romania. The alternative option would be to use the future Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) but this one is dedicated to Azeri gas imports in this Report. Iran According to BP Statistical Report, Iran is the country with the largest gas reserves in the world. Although the international sanctions linked to the development of nuclear programme are over, current production levels and current transmission infrastructures are considered as big limitations in order to conclude that the gas from Iran could reach EU market in the short term. Even if Iran plans to boost its gas sector during the next years, the additional exported volumes would probably reach direct neighbours first. Moreover, large investments would be needed to bring Iranian gas to Europe by pipeline but for the moment this option doesn’t look prob- able in the near future.

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Ten-Year Network Development Plan 2017 Main Report