SOCAR takes over BTC pipeline operatorship from BP

SOCAR became the operator of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil export pipeline on July 1, taking over from BP after more than two decades of operatorship.

BTC Co said operatorship of the pipeline across Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey had been transferred to SOCAR Midstream Operations (SMO), a wholly owned subsidiary of SOCAR.

The transfer also includes management of joint activities related to both the BTC and South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) systems, while BP will remain the operator of the Sangachal terminal.

BP regional president for the Caspian, Central Asia and Turkey Gio Cristofoli said the company was proud of its role in constructing and operating the pipeline and expressed confidence that SOCAR would maintain high standards of safety and operational excellence.

SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf described the transfer as an important milestone reflecting the company’s growing expertise in managing strategic energy infrastructure.

The 1,768-km pipeline has a capacity of 1 million barrels per day and has transported more than 4.7 billion barrels of crude oil to global markets since operations began.

N.Tebrizli