Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend V.Sharifov / The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) established a special working group to regulate the process of acquiring operating rights to the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline, a SOCAR source stated.
Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) which has been the operator of the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline with a capacity of 5mln t of oil since 1997 refused to operate the pipeline as it favors the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline with a capacity of 50mln t of oil. The BTC pipeline transports Light Oil produced by the AIOC in the fields of Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli.
"SOCAR will answer many questions regarding personnel as well as special training of AIOC for operating Baku-Novorossiysk," the same source stated.
The tariffs for transporting oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline amounts to $15.67 per t. The funds are paid by the AIOC to the Russian 'Transneft'.
SOCAR considers that it will receive operating rights to the pipeline by the end of the year. Despite the fact that AIOC has been operating the pipeline since 1997, SOCAR also has experience with the pipeline as it transported its oil produced in its own fields and also oil of the joint ventures and operating companies (with the foreign participation) via the Baku-Novorossiysk.