BTC pipeline back on track
Transporting oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) export
pipeline that carries crude from Azerbaijan`s vast
Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli fields in the Caspian Sea had fully resumed
on Monday.
Following two weeks of being closed due to damage caused by a fire following an explosion in the BTC`s Turkish section, the pipeline reopened for testing last Wednesday, and oil has begun flowing in limited bulk, and intermittently, so far. The conduit is now back in operation and oil output from the Azerbaijani fields is rising by the day, according to BP Azerbaijan, which operates the pipeline and the Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) consortium producing oil and associated gas from the ACG fields.
The suspension of the pipeline after the explosion on August 6 had caused members of the BTC consortium to declare force majeure on exports from the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, freeing them from contractual obligations.
The explosion had taken place in Turkey`s Erzinjan province and immediately ignited a fire. Firefighting efforts had been hindered by oil left inside the pipeline after the flow had stopped. On August 11, firefighters managed to extinguish the entire fire. An estimated 20,000 tons of crude was lost as a result of the blaze.
Kurdish separatist guerrillas claimed responsibility for the explosion, although Turkish energy and military officials said they doubted the blast was caused by sabotage.
London-based BP owns 30.1% of BTC, while the Azeri state energy firm, SOCAR, holds 25%. Other shareholders include U.S. oil companies Chevron and ConocoPhillips, Norway`s StatoilHydro, Italy`s ENI and France`s Total.
Following two weeks of being closed due to damage caused by a fire following an explosion in the BTC`s Turkish section, the pipeline reopened for testing last Wednesday, and oil has begun flowing in limited bulk, and intermittently, so far. The conduit is now back in operation and oil output from the Azerbaijani fields is rising by the day, according to BP Azerbaijan, which operates the pipeline and the Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) consortium producing oil and associated gas from the ACG fields.
The suspension of the pipeline after the explosion on August 6 had caused members of the BTC consortium to declare force majeure on exports from the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, freeing them from contractual obligations.
The explosion had taken place in Turkey`s Erzinjan province and immediately ignited a fire. Firefighting efforts had been hindered by oil left inside the pipeline after the flow had stopped. On August 11, firefighters managed to extinguish the entire fire. An estimated 20,000 tons of crude was lost as a result of the blaze.
Kurdish separatist guerrillas claimed responsibility for the explosion, although Turkish energy and military officials said they doubted the blast was caused by sabotage.
London-based BP owns 30.1% of BTC, while the Azeri state energy firm, SOCAR, holds 25%. Other shareholders include U.S. oil companies Chevron and ConocoPhillips, Norway`s StatoilHydro, Italy`s ENI and France`s Total.
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