Public gas supplier Bulgargaz announced that Azerbaijan has yet to resume natural gas deliveries, despite previous expectations for a restart on January 15. Technical issues remain unresolved, and the new estimated resumption date is now set for January 19.
Bulgargaz reassured customers that the suspension in January would not impact the proposed gas price for February. The company has already submitted a proposal to the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (KEVR) for a 2.6% increase in wholesale gas prices for February. For January, the approved natural gas price is set at 41.8 euros/MWh, reflecting a 7.97% increase from December 2024.
To meet customer demand, Bulgargaz confirmed that it is sourcing gas from a variety of alternatives, including supplies from the Chiren underground storage facility, LNG deliveries stored in Turkey, and gas from the Alexandroupoli terminal in Greece.
Azerbaijan initially halted its gas supplies on January 7. In response, Bulgargaz secured alternative sources through its agreement with Turkish BOTAS. The suspension was later traced to a pipeline malfunction that was transporting natural gas from the Caspian Sea to the Sangachal Terminal. BP, the main operator of the Shah Deniz gas field consortium in Azerbaijan, confirmed the issue. Although deliveries were expected to resume by January 15, gas flows have not yet restarted.
