Petrom interested in exporting gas through the Szeged-Arad pipeline

The pipeline is to become operational in early 2010, and will have a maximum transport capacity of 4.4 billion cubic meters, about one quarter of Romania’s annual gas consumption. The project has been repeatedly postponed, although all specialists agree that the pipeline would diminish Romania’s dependence on Russian gas.

According to Transgaz Research and Design General Manager, Vlad Pavlovschi, 11 companies have expressed interest to import gas to Romania through this pipeline. The project has been developed by Hungarian MOL oil company and Romanian state-owned Transgaz gas transport company. Each company will finance a portion of the 109 kilometer pipeline from its own funds.