BTC oil line transporting less due to gas leak

Sept. 22, 2008
The BP PLC-led Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline is transporting less oil because of a gas leak on Sept. 17 that has that cut output from fields in the Caspian Sea.

Eric Watkins
Oil Diplomacy Editor

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 22 -- The BP PLC-led Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline is transporting less oil because of a gas leak on Sept. 17 that has that cut output from fields in the Caspian Sea.

BTC oil throughput has been affected by the partial shutdown of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field. Two platforms on the ACG field were shutdown last week, cutting output from 850,000 b/d of oil to 350,000 b/d.

A BP spokesperson said that the volumes though the BTC have been reduced and that they match production volumes. The spokesperson did not detail level of production at the fields or the amount of oil shipped through the pipeline.

BP said it was investigating the gas leak at the ACG field and had no date set to restart output to normal.

Traders meanwhile said that oil loadings in Turkey from the BTC line in October will be delayed because of the partial shutdown, with cargoes scheduled to load during the first 10 days of October delayed by 7 days.

Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].