Azerbaijan has temporarily halted its contracted natural gas supply to Bulgaria following a technical issue at BP's Alpha platform in the Shah Deniz gas field.
The suspension, which lasted from January 7 to January 11, did not disrupt the regional natural gas market, as alternative supplies from Turkey’s Botas stepped in to meet demand.
Bulgargaz, Bulgaria’s state-owned gas company, confirmed that the incident incurred no additional costs for replacement gas. In a statement, the company stressed the importance of diversifying natural gas sources to mitigate such risks in the future.
The outage originated from a problem in the subsea condensate export line, prompting BP Azerbaijan to shut down production and export operations from the Shah Deniz Alpha platform. BP Azerbaijan spokesperson Tamam Bayatly assured that the platform, pipeline, and personnel remained safe, with no environmental impact reported.
"We are currently working to resolve the problem and resume normal operations as quickly as possible," Bayatly said.
Meanwhile, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has yet to comment on the issue.
Bulgaria’s natural gas supply has been under pressure since April 2022, following its decision to cease importing Russian gas due to payment disputes. The latest incident underscores the region's energy vulnerabilities and the need for reliable and diversified sources.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon are set to announce a new phase of defence and security cooperation between their countries during a meeting on Tuesday, according to a statement from Starmer's office.
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President Donald Trump is standing by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after new revelations that he shared sensitive military information via a private messaging app — not once, but twice.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed holding direct talks with Ukraine for the first time in years, a move that follows mounting pressure from the United States to show a real interest in peace. The statement comes days after Moscow’s one-day Easter truce failed to hold.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has praised France’s rejection of a controversial encryption bill, warning that weakening privacy protections would do little to stop crime but could endanger millions of law-abiding users.
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Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
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Pope Francis's relationship with Azerbaijan has evolved significantly over the years, characterized by diplomatic exchanges, promotion of religious tolerance, and peace advocacy in the Caucasus region.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to make an official visit to Kazakhstan from April 26 to 27, at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Azerbaijan Culture Days has officially opened in Kyrgyzstan, bringing a vibrant celebration of Azerbaijani art, music, and literature to Bishkek from April 20 to 25.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will visit China on Tuesday, days ahead of Tehran-Washington nuclear talks in Oman. Araqchi recently stated that Iran consistently coordinates with allies Russia and China on nuclear-related issues.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon are set to announce a new phase of defence and security cooperation between their countries during a meeting on Tuesday, according to a statement from Starmer's office.
In an unprecedented twist to U.S. immigration enforcement, hundreds of migrants, mostly Venezuelans, are being held in one of the world’s most notorious mega-prisons. It’s not in Texas or Arizona, but 70 kilometres east of San Salvador, under the iron grip of Nayib Bukele’s security state.
President Donald Trump is standing by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after new revelations that he shared sensitive military information via a private messaging app — not once, but twice.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed holding direct talks with Ukraine for the first time in years, a move that follows mounting pressure from the United States to show a real interest in peace. The statement comes days after Moscow’s one-day Easter truce failed to hold.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has praised France’s rejection of a controversial encryption bill, warning that weakening privacy protections would do little to stop crime but could endanger millions of law-abiding users.
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