Azerbaijan, Baku, May 14 / Trend, E. Ismayilov /
Azerbaijan has not received any official notification from Russia about terminating the agreement on the transit of Azerbaijani oil through Russia via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline, a source in SOCAR told Trend on Tuesday.
"Azerbaijan has not received any official information about it," a company representative said.
Prime Agency earlier reported referring to a source familiar with the text of the document that the decree on terminating the agreement signed in 1996 was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on May 5.
Transneft spokesman Igor Demin told Trend that Azerbaijani oil can be transited via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline as part of a new agreement between entities.
Azerbaijani oil will be transported under an intergovernmental agreement until late 2013. It is possible to begin operations under a new contract starting in 2014. There is enough time for preparations Demin said.
"We do not see anything wrong with the abandonment of a political document and we will work as the two economic entities," he added.
The Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) operated the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline until late 2007. It then transferred these functions to SOCAR.
SOCAR transports oil from its own fields and from joint ventures and companies operating in Azerbaijan through Novorossiysk.
In 2012, SOCAR exported 2.06 million tons of oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline compared to 1.99 million tons in 2011.