Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug.15 / Trend E. Ismayilov /
Deepening of seabed at the Azerbaijani Black Sea oil terminal Kulevi (Georgia), conducted for entry of large tankers, is expected to be completed by late August-early September, a source in terminal close to operation said on August 15. Earlier operations are expected to be completed in early August.
"Dredging was expected to be completed earlier, but this process will be completed by late 2009 or early next month due to bad weather and rain, the source said. According to the plan on dredging, about 2.2 million tons of soil was selected.
Launching of oil transportation from Kazakh oil from Tengiz field via this terminal also greatly depends from this process. A joint Kazakh-U.S enterprise Tengizshevroil deals with development of the Tengiz field.
Negotiations and meetings are held periodically to launch transportation of Tengiz oil through the Kulevi oil terminal, another source said earlier. It is difficult to talk about time of supply launching. At present, the negations are being held on this regards, the source said.
It is planned to transport about 5 million tons of Kazakh oil, more than 3 million will fall on the Tengiz oil, through Azerbaijan in 2009, the head of the Kazakh Company KazMunayGas, Kairgeldi Kabyldin said in Baku earlier.
The U.S. Company ChevronTexaco launched transportation of Tengiz oil via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pepiline in 2008. Under the terms of the agreement, oil from the Tengiz field will be transported via the BTC and the railway to the Georgian ports (Kulevi and Batumi).
According to the State Statistical Committee, 907, 700 tons of oil was transported from the Tengiz field through the BTC pipeline in the first half of 2009.
The owner of the Georgian Black Sea terminal of Kulevi is the Sate Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and Batumi - KazMunayGas.
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