SOCAR starts receiving large vessels at its own terminal on Black Sea

"Now a Greek tanker [with dead weight of more than 100,000 tons] AEGEAN FREEDOM is in the port for loading," the same source said.     

Earlier the Kulevi port, located in the Georgian section of Black Sea, could board ships of not more than 50,000 tons.

Kulevi terminal's capacity to receive vessels of large capacity is directly linked to the trans-shipment of Kazakh oil from Tengiz field.

This oil is delivered from Kazakhstan through the Caspian Sea to Baku. Tengiz is developed by TengizChevroil JV.

This year, about 5 million tons of Kazakh oil will be transported through the territory of Azerbaijan, of which more than three million accounts for Tengiz field.

Oil terminal in Kulevi was put into operation in summer 2008. The total capacity of the terminal is 10 million tons of oil per year, including three million tons of oil, three million tons of diesel fuel, four million tons of fuel oil.

The terminal can accommodate up to 168 tank-cars.

/Trend Capital/