A decision on a possibility to prolong the contract between the Russian pipeline operator Trasnneft and AIOC (Azerbaijan International Operating Company) on piping oil via the northern pipeline route Baku-Novorossiysk will be taken only by the shareholders of AIOC, David Woodward, President of BP Azerbaijan, told, Trend reports.
However, he pointed out that after the main export pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) starts operating on its full capacity and proves its high reliability, the necessity on using the northern route will no longer relevant.
Notably, since the moment, the piping via the northern pipeline route started up to the end of September, 2006, totally about 172 mln. barrels of oil (358 tanker shipments or approximately 23.6 mln. tons), including SOCAR`s not produced on the bloc of the fields Azeri-Chiragh-Gunashli. At present, the parties to the project Azeri-Chiragh-Gunashli is carrying 20.000 barrels per day via this pipeline.
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