According to Azernews.az Azerbaijan has started working on the development of a national program for the rational use of energy resources of the country in 2014-2020, Energy Minister Natig Aliyev said on February 5.

"There is a need to develop a national program for the rational use of natural resources of Azerbaijan in 2014-2020 to maintain consistency and purposefulness of work conducted to ensure the rational use of energy resources," he said.

Aliyev went on to note that development of such a program is relevant on the background of increase of demand to energy carriers and global prices.

Preliminary work for the development of the program has already begun, and the ministry has sent an appeal to the relevant organizations to establish a working group, the minister said.

Proven gas reserves of Azerbaijan, an energy-rich South Caucasus country, are estimated at 2.55 trillion cubic meters, and oil reserves at two billion tons while the predicted gas reserves of the country are estimated at six trillion cubic meters and oil reserves at four billion tons.

Aliyev also made public the oil and gas production figures for 2013. He said in 2013 Azerbaijan produced 32.72 million tons of oil at giant Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block of fields in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea in 2013 compared to the expected 30.62 million tons.