The delivery of Kazakhstan oil via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and its blending with the Azerbaijan light oil will not make Azeri Light oil less attractive to the world market. Azerbaijani Oil experts informed Trend that cargo deliverers with the specification of oil meeting the minimal requirements of BTC Quality Bank will be allowed to the BTC.
The same applies to oil from other countries, not only Kazakhstan. The oil to blend with Azeri Light should be of the same quality to make the Caspian Blend of the Ceyhan pipeline more reasonable for the European oil refineries as the pure Azeri Light, the experts stated.
Therefore, with Kazakhstan joining the BTC, BP will not lose the Mediterranean market of Azeri Light Oil.
The BTC oil pipeline is able to pump over 50 mln. tons of oil a year. At present the pipeline delivers only the light oil from the Azerbaijani fields Azeri-Chirag- Gunashli. Additionally BTC will transport oil from Kazakhstan's fields Tengiz and Kashagan.
Organized by BTC Company, the Oil Quality Bank will regulate the quality in the Turkish port of Ceyhan pipeline and present a mechanism of mutual settlement between the cargo deliverers of oil of different quality.