A prominent Russian energy expert has surprisingly embraced the idea for combining the rivaling gas pipeline projects in southern Europe, South Stream and Nabucco, on Bulgarian territory in a bid to cut costs.

Diverting from the official stand of his country, Valery Yazev, President of the Russian Gas Society, said at a press conference on Thursday that the idea is very reasonable and should be “seriously considered”.

“We will build the section of the South Stream under the Black Sea, after which it enters Bulgaria. Nabucco on the other hand may give up the construction of the pipeline section in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, so that it can join the South Stream in Bulgaria,” Yazev said.

According to him this proposal is very profitable for Nabucco since it rules out the on-the-ground construction of pipelines in Asia, where the gas supplies are not secured.

The suggestion about combining the two projects was voiced at the beginning of March by Eni SpA Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni. Eni is an equal partner in South Stream with OAO Gazprom, the world’s largest producer of gas.

Bulgarian experts have voiced hopes that since the planned route of the two key projects passes through the country their possible combination could turn it into an energy hub.

The South Stream gas line is to be completed by 2015. With it Russia aims at eliminating dependence from transit countries. The South Stream would ship 63 billion cubic meters annually of natural gas from Russia and Central Asia to Europe under the Black Sea.

Nabucco would deliver 31 billion cubic meters annually from eastern Turkey to Austria. Bulgaria, in which the pipeline from Caspian gas fields is to enter the EU, holds a 16.5 % stake in the EUR 8 B project.

The Nabucco pipeline is planned across Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Bulgaria, its construction executed by a consortium of firms from EU nations - Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria - as well as Turkey.

The project is the EU's attempt to diversify sources and reduce dependency on Russia and is largely seen as a rival to South Stream.

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