Baku-Supsa Pipeline

The Baku-Supsa Pipeline (also known as the Western Route Export Pipeline and Western Early Oil Pipeline) is an convert|830|km|mi long oil pipeline, which runs from the Sangachal Terminal near Baku to the Supsa terminal in Georgia. It transports oil from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field. The pipeline is operated by BP.

History

The preparations for the pipeline's construction started in 1994. On 8 March 1996, President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze agreed on the establishment of Baku-Supsa pipeline. The trilateral contract was signed between Azerbaijan International Operating Company, SOCAR and the Government of Georgia.cite news
url = http://www.azerbaijan.az/_Economy/_OilStrategy/oilStrategy_05_e.html
title = Transport routes of Azerbaijani oil (Baku-Novorossiysk, Baku-Supsa)
publisher = Azerbaijan Portal
accessdate = 2008-06-08] At the same year the lead contract of the project was awarded to Kværner. The pipeline was completed in 1998. On 17 April 1999, the inauguration ceremony of the Supsa Oil Terminal took place. The total costs of the construction of the pipeline and terminal were US$556 million.

Baku-Supsa and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipelines through militarily-contested Georgia. The oil transportation by the pipeline was stopped on 21 October 2006 after abnormalities were revealed during the inspections on the pipeline.cite news
url = http://www.today.az/news/business/44358.html
title = Oil pumping by Baku-Supsa pipeline to resume in May
publisher = Today.Az
date = 2008-04-17
accessdate = 2008-06-08] The large scale repair and replacement included replacement and re-routing of pipeline sections near Zestaponi in Georgia and Kura River crossing in Azerbaijan. Also several defects of the Soviet times sections were repaired. In total, the repair works cost US$53 million. The oil shipment restarted in June 2008.cite news
url = http://www.today.az/news/business/45482.html
title = Baku-Supsa pipeline to be launched after repair
publisher = Today.Az
date = 2008-06-05
accessdate = 2008-06-08]

After a major explosion and fire, which closed the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline on 6 August 2008, the Baku-Supsa Pipeline was used to re-route Azeri oil deliveries.cite news
url = http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article160568.ece
title = BP diverts Ceyhan crude as fire still burns
publisher = Upstream Today
date = 2008-08-07
accessdate = 2008-08-13] On 12 August 2008, BP closed the pipeline for the safety reasons because of the South Ossetia conflict.cite news
url = http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article160951.ece
title = BP shuts in Georgia links
publisher = Upstream Today
date = 2008-08-12
accessdate = 2008-08-13]

Technical features

Essentially, the Baku-Supsa pipeline is a refurbished Soviet era pipeline with several newly built sections. It has six pumping stations and two pressure reduction stations in western Georgia. The four storage tanks at the Supsa terminal have a total capacity of 160,000 cubic metres.cite news
url = http://www.hydrocarbons-technology.com/projects/supsa/
title = Supsa Terminal and Pipeline, Georgia / Azerbaijan
publisher = Hydrocarbons Technology
accessdate = 2008-06-08] The capacity of the pipeline is 145,000 barrel per day (bbl/d) with proposed upgrades to between 300,000 bbl/d to 600,000 bbl/d.

ee also

*Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline
*Baku-Novorossiysk Pipeline

References

External links

* [http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9006672&contentId=7015099 Western Route Export Pipeline (BP website)]