Azerbaijan, Baku, 29 May / Trend, E. Ismailov /
In case of a refusal to transport Azerbaijani oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline, it may be tarnsfered through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the senior official of SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) said on Wednesday.
According to him, meetings and discussions will be held to discuss the transportation of Azerbaijani oil through Russia. Cessation of the transport of oil through the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline will not affect export operations, but this route is an addition to the security of oil supply diversification.
"In case of refusal to transport oil through the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline, it might be transported via BTC, which will be beneficial to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan consortia and development the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli block of oil and gas fields. Increased transportation via BTC will contribute to the reduction of the tariff for pumping oil from ACG, which is also beneficial to the state."
In this case, the BTC consortium must provide the rates that would be commercially more than transporting oil by rail.
The supply of oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline will be continued in accordance with the existing agreement until the end of this year.
Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree to terminate the agreement with Azerbaijan on the transit of Azerbaijani oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline.
AIOC was the operator of the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline by the end of 2007, when it transferred its functions to SOCAR.
SOCAR carries transshipment of oil from its own fields through Novorossiysk as well as transfers oil of joint ventures and operating companies operating onshore in Azerbaijan.
In 2012, SOCAR exported 2.06 million tons of oil via the northern Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline compared to 1.99 million tons in 2011.