Azerbaijan may build new oil pipeline

"The Kazakh oil in the volume of 100,000 barrels per day is transported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and by rail to the Georgian ports of Kulevi and Batumi. With the regard to the expected increase of the Kazakh oil exports via Azerbaijan in near future, we are exploring possibility of delivering these volumes through the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline and constructing a new pipeline," Abdullayev said.

Head of KazEnergy Association Timur Kulibayev said that Kazakhstan would gradually export "big oil".

"In the first phase it will amount to 50 million tons. We need a reliable route," Kulibayev said.

He said some part of oil from the Kashagan field will be transported via the CPC pipeline.

"We have reached agreement to expand the CPC and I think before the end of the year final negotiations will begin to expand the pipeline. It will be expanded by 2012," Kulibayev said.

"We see that there is a need for additional capacity to transport our oil through Azerbaijan and other countries. So we agreed to consider the use of the existing Baku-Supsa oil pipeline, and if necessary, to build a new pipeline in this corridor. It is too early to speak about the power and investment, the experts should determine exact numbers," Kulibayev said.

/Trend Capital/