Azerbaijan, Baku, May 30 / Trend, A.Taghiyeva
Supply of Azerbaijani gas to Turkey via the South Caucasus Pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum) was suspended because of an explosion on the pipeline last night, Botas (Turkish state gas transportation company) told Trend on Wednesday.
The cause of the explosion is not known yet. However, as Botas said, technical work was carried out on this section of the gas pipeline yesterday which could have led to the subsequent explosion. Repairs could take up to seven days, Botas said.
Turkey has a contract to supply 6.6 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas per year from the 'Shah Deniz' field via the South Caucasus gas pipeline. Prior to suspension of oil, pumping of around 12 million cubic meters of gas was supplied via the pipeline per day on average.
Earlier, Turkish media outlets reported an explosion on the pipeline in the Kars province and that work was to resume on oil pumping.
There is no problem in oil exports via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, BP which operates the pipeline said on Wednesday.