Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline passes 400 million barrel milestone
Posted by meb at July 18th, 2008
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline has transferred 418 million barrels of crude oil since it started operations in 2006, BTC Oil Pipeline Company Turkey General Manager Can Suphi has said.
Suphi noted that the daily capacity of the BTC pipeline is 1 million barrels, adding that the line is operating near full capacity, with daily transfer of 900-950,000 barrels. He said 530 oil tankers have been filled from the line thus far.
Suphi was speaking at the 12th Social Investment Program Workshop held in the Orfoz facilities at Eymir Lake yesterday, where participants discussed projects to further the development of settlements along the BTC pipeline.
The current level of crude oil production is less than the global demand for oil, Suphi emphasized, saying that this is the reason for surging oil prices. “From this perspective, it could be said that proper operation of the BTC crude oil pipeline is quite important for supply and demand security in oil,” he noted.
Suphi said the 11 partners on the BTC pipeline pay a great deal of attention to social and environmental problems, in addition to commercial and technical achievements, adding that a number of social investment programs have been implemented by the partners since 2003. Suphi further noted that the BTC Oil Pipeline Company has allocated $26 million since mid-2003 to regional development initiatives and $4.5 million in 2008 for the same purpose.
At the workshop, participants noted that the rural development projects carried out in 10 cities and 330 villages along the Turkey part of the BTC line placed emphasis on lucrative activities and sought reinforcement of society-based organization, adding that a fund of $16.3 million has been allotted to the program since 2003. An additional sum of $5.7 million was set aside to support biological diversity. Employment and entrepreneurship was promoted in the 10 cities included in the initiative. Furthermore, a sum of $3.6 million was allocated to projects based on cooperation for effective governance and business enhancement.
source: Today’s Zaman
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