Azerbaijan, Baku/ Trend , corr. S. Aliyev / AIOC (Azerbaijan International Operating Company) is expected to hold up its own oil export via the Northern Route of Baku-Novorossisysk and by railway in the direction to the Georgian Black Sea Port of Batumi, a source in SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) has told Trend today.
The suspension of the oil carrying is explained by the increase in the capacity of the Main Route of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline (BTC), and redirecting great volumes of oil just to the mentioned route.
BTC is currently carrying over 600.000 barrels of oil per day. However, the projected capacity of the pipeline is 1 mln. Barrels a day.
Due to the lack of gas, which is usually used as a fuel at the pumping stations of the pipeline, BTC operated on diesel fuel that did not allow increasing the piping volumes.
The gas produced from the Azerbaijani offshore gas condensate field of Shah Daniz has already delivered to the BTC pumping stations. Just that has allowed increasing the capacity of the BTC Pipeline. In the second half of 2007, BP intends to bring the volume of oil piping to the projected capacity at 1 mln. barrels per day.
AIOC intends to resume oil export via the Western Route of Baku-Supsa Pipeline in the middle of April, 2007. Notably, repair and overhaul works have been carried out on the route since the end of 2006.
In January-February, AIOC, which is developing the Azerbaijani offshore bloc of fields "Azeri-Chiragh-Gunashli" (ACG), exported 4.7 mln. tons of oil in different directions. This indicator is on 2.1 mln. Tons more versus the corresponding period of 2006.
Some 282.750 tons of oil carried via the northern route in February 2007 against 316.000 tons carried in February, 2006.
In February, 2007, some 240.330 tons were shipped in the Georgian direction- in the Georgian Port of Batumi (excepting oil consignments belong to ExxonMobil и Devon). Notably, in February, 2006, this indicator was equal to 438.000 tons.
Some 2.000.025 tons of oil (17 tankers were shipped) were exported visa BTC in February, 2007. Notably, that the oil export via this route was launched in June, 2006.