A special commission of Azerbaijan set up the consideration of a technical scheme of a transportation agreement needed for the organization of the Aktau-Baku corridor for pumping the Kazakh oil via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, Natik Aliyev, the Azerbaijani Minister for Industry and Energy, told Trend.
A contract similar to that signed under the BTC can be taken as a basic document. Azerbaijan acts as a host country in BTC, while Georgia and Turkey as transit countries. However, after the establishment of the Baku-Aktau corridor for pumping the Kazakh oil via BTC, Azerbaijan will become a transit country. So, it is necessary to take the exiting transport as a base and consider the capacities for changes and supplements, he said.
The Aktau-Baku is established for oil export especially from East Kashagan with the estimated reserves of 13 billion barrels. Production from the field is scheduled for 2008. The commencement of the transportation of 500,000 barrels of oil via the Aktau-Baku is expected not to be earlier than 2010. Under the Aktau-Baku project it is planned to build a pipeline in the territory of Kazakhstan up to Kurik with the discharge capacity of 750,000 barrels of oil a day, and an oil loading navy.
The French company Total, coming out on behalf of all north Caspian oil producers, proposed 5 areas, in particular. Pirsaat, near the Sangachal terminal, Shurabad and Bulla island, for stationing the facilities. They regard Shurabad as the most suitable area. We appealed to the special commission of Azerbaijan for comprehensive study of the project and there evolved some questions, the minister underscored.