Kazakhstan oil flow via Baku-Ceyhan pipeline increased by 3 million tons
[
18 Oct 2008 13:54 ]
Baku. Vahab Rzayev – APA-ECONOMICS. Crude oil from Kazakhstan’s Tengiz oilfield will be pumped into Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline (BTC) in a few days, reaching the Turkish port of Ceyhan for leading in mid-November, BP said.
Tengiz crude will be shipped across the Caspian from Kazakhstan to Baku.
The initial flow rate of Kazakh oil via BTC pipeline was increased to 5 million tons from 2 million tons a year. The volume is expected to reach 20 million tons in the offing.
Tengiz crude is not as sweet as Azeri Light but is a lighter crude oil and yields more light products at the refinery and less residue. The mixture of these two crudes means there will be only a minor change in the quality of the crude in mid-November, the statement said.
The plan of pumping Kazakh oil via Azerbaijan is viewed as interesting not only to U.S. and European Union, but also Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov said Kazakhstan favors route diversification for hydrocarbon deliveries, particularly through Azerbaijan and Georgia.