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In Fact, Baku-Tbilisi-Jeihan Pipeline Is Not Accurately Protected

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  • In Fact, Baku-Tbilisi-Jeihan Pipeline Is Not Accurately Protected

    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
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