OREANDA-NEWS. September 18, 2009. In August of the year the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) lowered gas supplies to the domestic market by 40.6% that is direct consequence of transfer of national gas operator Azeriqaz CJSC (now it is a SOCAR production association of the same name) under authority of Company.

SOCAR reports that in August gas supplies to the domestic market totaled 475.03 million versus 800.29 million in July, 793.84 million cu m in June of the year and 1.08 bn cu m in December 2008. Supplies for Jan-Aug totaled 6.537 bn cu m versus 10.767 bn cu m for 2008.

The former main gas consumer, Azeriqaz CJSC, did not receive gas in August, but in July it was supplied 466.12 million cu m against 497.56 million in June of the year and 537.95 million cu m in December 2008. The Jan-Aug 2009 supplies to the former gas operator made up 3.576 bn cu m, although by 1st August the figure was 3.576 bn cu m versus 5.8 bn cu m for 2008.

Energy operator Azerenerji OJSC received August 290.46 million cu m of gas from SOCAR against 334.17 million cu m gas in July, 296.27 million cu m in June 2009 and 544.76 million in December 2008. The Jan-Aug supplies Azerenerji reached 3.05 bn cu m against 4.95 bn cu m for 2008 and the operator became the country’s main gas consumer.

In connection with launch of independent supply operations at the domestic market SOCAR has informed that in August it supplied to the population 105.7 million cu m and for Jan-Aug 224.15 million cu m. SOCAR’s supplies to industrial sector totaled 57.96 million cu m and 113.09 million cu m respectively, public utility & budget consumers 4.62 million cu m and 9.3 million cu m and others 16.25 million cu m and 27.4 million cu m.