In an interview for Mediafax, Butcher said Romania should rethink its energy policy and focus on alternative ways to diversify its supply base, including shale gas and the exploitation of Black Sea resources.
Romania is a shareholder of the Nabucco West pipeline project, which was supposed to link Turkey to Austria, offering a new delivery route for gas to Europe and thus reducing European dependence on Russian gas.
Azerbaijan was supposed to be one of the main suppliers for Nabucco West, but the consortium developing Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz-2 field has opted for rival Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) to ship its gas to the European market.
Romania will turn to its own resources to increase oil and gas output following the Nabucco West project’s failure, President Traian Basescu said last week.
(Chargé d’Affaires Duane Butcher’ interview will be available on www.mediafax.ro as of 1400 hours – 1100 GMT)