SOCAR Georgia Director says fuel stations will be built in regions compactly populated by Azerbaijanis

He told APA that most the stations will not be based in Tbilisi but in regions.

"We don't want to rent the ready stations, we want to start from zero point," he noted.

SOCAR Energy Georgia, a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), will invest at least $20mln in construction of filling stations in Georgia.

"As to investment in Kulevi oil terminal, the amount will be three-digit large," he added.

The terminal will be commissioned in the third quarter and construction of a 13.8km long railroad is under way. The capacity of the reservoir park is 320,000 cubic meters and the port has two docks for access of two tankers at 100,000 tonnes each.

The terminal will initially receive up to 10mln tonnes of oil annually while its capacity will be enlarged up to 20,000 tonnes within two years. 168 train cars will be unloaded in the terminal.

Mahir Mammadov said that the company has applied to the Georgian Government for additional 200 hectares to build gas unloading station and an oil refinery.

The company intends to construct three oil bases at total capacity of 22,000 tonnes for storing and distributing oil in Georgia.