IN FACT, BAKU-TBILISI-JEIHAN PIPELINE IS NOT ACCURATELY PROTECTED
PanARMENIAN.Net
07.08.2008 GMT+04:00
The present and future possible explosions may strike the Nabucco
project, though it is already on the verge of collapse.
Fire on the oil-pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Jeihan (BTJ) is not yet put
out and it may still continue for several days. As the Turkish side
informs, repair work will last till August 14. Actually happened what
was repeatedly spoken about: the pipeline passes through a hazardous
zone and terrorist acts are not excluded. In spite of confirmations,
Azerbaijan and Turkey are not able to ensure security of the pipeline.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The responsibility for the explosion in the BTJ
pipeline terrorist act was undertaken by the Kurdistan Workers’
Party. At the moment Baku-Supsa pipeline is enabled for exporting
oil. Railway delivery of oil is also being discussed. The main
oil provider in the BTJ is Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) oil field,
where more than 800 thousand barrels of oil is extracted a day. The
accident might make the BP Azerbaijan apply all the transport
alternatives of Jeihan: Baku-Novorossiysk (output – 100 thousand
barrels daily), Baku-Supsa (output – 135 thousand barrels daily),
railway of Baku-Batumi (carrying capacity – 300 thousand barrels a
day), and Baku-Kulevi (carrying capacity – 200 thousand barrels a day).
As it turns out, the pipeline is not as secure as the U.S.A. would
like to see it. But the present and future possible explosions
may strike the Nabucco project, though it is already on the verge
of collapse. Last Friday "Gazprom" signed two important contracts
with Ashgabat, which outlined a new scheme of delivering the Turkmen
gas. The first contract gives a thorough description of conditions
on which Russia is going to purchase gas in Turkmenistan for the
coming 20 years. The second contract is unique in itself as it makes
"Gazprom" a regional donor for the Turkmen energy projects. As
a matter of fact, both contracts ensure Russia’s control over the
export of the Turkmen gas. According to the second contract "Gazprom"
must finance and build new transport networks, as well as extend the
gas fields of Turkmenistan. According to the calculations of experts,
the amount of financing the Turkmen projects will mount to USD 4-6
billion. Head of "Gazprom" Alexei Miller said: "We have agreed that
"Gazprom" is to finance and build new large pipelines starting from
the eastern part of the country, extend the gas fields and enlarge
possibilities of the Turkmen sector to increase the flow capacity
of the Caspian pipeline up to 30 milliard cubic meters." "Gazprom is
to finance these regional projects in the form of 0%. Net profit of
Turkmenistan is calculated 240-480 million," oil.ru reports.
Besides, Russia has revived its interest toward the idea of
"gas cartel". President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev referred to
this idea at the visit of the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in
Moscow. "Such forum of gas exporters would promote a world balance
on this matter. The forum might give answers to such questions as
where and how much gas must be mined," considers the Head of "Gazprom".
Hitherto Moscow has been hypersensitive toward the European
opposition’s idea of such a cartel. However, the high prices for gas
weaken the negative position of the EC.
The contracts with Turkmenistan further consolidated Russian control
over the export of central gas. "Gazprom" has proposed Azerbaijan
purchasing all of its gas at the European price (Medvedev visited
Baku on July 3-4). Presently Baku is enthusiastically studying the
Ashgabat agreements. The main point of such a move on the part of
Russia is her serious treatment of the campaign conducted by the
U.S.A. and the EC on initiating the Nabucco project, which, passing
from Turkey through Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary, laid hopes on
the Turkmen gas and on the pipeline that would join Turkmenistan and
Azerbaijan on the seabed of the Caspian Sea. The project would join
the system of pipelines passing through the Caucasus with the already
existing pipelines, such as Baku-Tbilisi-Jeihan.
However, with no access to the Turkmen gas the vitality of Nabucco
is put at stake. And without Nabucco the U.S. strategy directed to
the reduction of European dependence on the Russian energy suppliers
is useless. Accordingly, Washington faces a choice: to take what she
is offered or to take nothing. In the light of the Friday agreements
signed in Ashgabat the implementation of this project depends on the
delivery of gas from the Middle East, in particular from Iran. As for
Turkey, it is inclined to the idea of supplying the Iranian gas into
Europe, and offers its mediation in the USA-Iran opposition.
Meanwhile, the Economist writes: ""Elite egoism" must probably be
considered the most dangerous problem, since the scale of state
willfulness in Azerbaijan has overstepped all the limits, even in
comparison with such countries as Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, or
such neighbouring states as Georgia and Armenia. For the last two
years a whole range of large-scale enterprises have been "attacked"
by the authorities like in the case of "UKOS". The Azpetrol Ltd,
which specializes on the sale of oil products and is considered the
most effective company of the country, was seized by the Government
on the eve of the Parliamentary Elections 2005 and its shareholders
were imprisoned. Shortly after it, the Turkish power supplier Barmek
was made to terminate its activities in Azerbaijan. These are only the
best known examples that confirm the fall of the business atmosphere in
the country. However, the fact was not revealed in the international
Mass Media: from the second half of 2006 Azeri businessmen initiated
mass "migration" into Georgia and Kazakhstan, where, in their opinion,
the business atmosphere was more appealing.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
