OMV may buy RWE's stake in the Nabucco gas pipeline project, which aims to bring Caspian supplies to Europe. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday that RWE may soon quit Nabucco and could sell its stake to OMV. Both OMV and RWE have confirmed the talks. Our view: There was widespread speculation about this development back in May when RWE said it was reviewing the Nabucco project. The purchase of RWE’s stake can only be precisely evaluated in 2013, which is promising to be a make-or-break year for Nabucco, at least in its current version: BP and its partners in the Shah Deniz gas field will select which pipeline will have the right to take gas from Azerbaijan into Europe next year. OMV is competing with the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). If OMV does not emerge as a winner, it may still be interested in building a pipeline from Romania to the Central European Gas Hub (CEGH) at Baumgarten. This, however, will largely depend on the size and commercial viability of its Black Sea discovery.