Explosion hits Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline; cause unknown
An explosion has hit the section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) gas pipeline in the Turkish province of Kars, which supplies gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported on Thursday.
Cause of the explosion has not yet been established. Representatives of the Turkish pipeline company Botas arrived at the scene.
Repairs can take three to seven days, Botas said.
BP Azerbaijan, operator of the Azerbaijani offshore Shah Deniz field, which produces gas transported via the BTE pipeline, told Trend news agency that at the request of Botas gas supply to the company's system was suspended.
Work on the Shah Deniz platform has not been suspended, and gas is supplied to Azerbaijan, Georgia and the pumping stations of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline normally -- 24 hours a day, BP Azerbaijan said.
Last time an explosion occurred on the BTE pipeline on May 29.
Turkey has a contract for supply of 6.6 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas annually from the Shah Deniz field via South Caucasus Pipeline, which is a section of the BTE pipeline crossing Azerbaijan and Georgia.