Interfax reported that State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic exported 2.225 billion cubic meters of gas in January to October up by 53.6%YoY.

The source said "SOCAR exported 2.225 billion cubic meters of gas over the ten months which represented 26.5% of the company's overall gas sales for the period."

He said that SOCAR gas exports in October amounted to 158.1 million cubic meters.

The company currently exports gas to Russia and Georgia, and also to Iran on a swap basis.

OJSC Gazprom and SOCAR did a deal for Azerbaijani gas on October 14 2009. SOCAR exported 799.751 million cubic meters of natural gas to Russia last year and will supply 2 billion cubic meters this year and next.

The Georgian government and SOCAR concluded a memorandum in 2008 per which Azerbaijan will not increase the cost of the gas Georgia requires for its people and the operation of thermal power plants. The price of gas supplied to the population is USD 167 per thousand cubic meters and to thermal power plants USD 143 per 1,000 cubic meters.

(Sourced from Interfax)