Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, BTC, pipeline delivered more than 2.1 billion barrels of oil to the global markets since 2006 according to the company.
Pipeline has a capacity of 1.2 million bpd and delivers Azeri light crude - mainly from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field - through Georgia to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan for further export via tankers. Since 2008, Kazakh crude oil has also been shipped through the BTC. Since June 2006 BTC has loaded more than 2700 tankers for global markets according to the company.
The Ceyhan terminal port, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, serves as an outlet for oil exports from northern Iraq and for both oil and natural gas exports from Azerbaijan.
BTC pipeline became operational in June 2006 was built by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline company (BTC Co) Currently, company’s main shareholders are BP 30.1 %, SOCAR 25 %, Chevron 8.9 %, Statoil 8.71%, TP 6.53 %.
BTC is totally 1768 kilometer long. Pipelines 443 kilometers in Azerbaijan, 249 kilometers in Georgia, and 1.076 kilometers in Turkey.
BTC Project costpipeline cost passes over 1,500 rivers and 13 seismically active fault crossings and climbs to a high point of 2,800 meters before returning to sea level at Ceyhan.
Reporting by Ibrahim Erikan, Hakan Sahin
Writing by Ata Ufuk Seker
Anadolu Agency
auseker@aa.com.tr