Uchenna Izundu
International Editor
LONDON, Apr. 24 -- Eni SPA has broken ground to start construction of its Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TAP), which initially will deliver 1 million b/d of oil from Central Asia and the Caspian to the Mediterranean via Turkey in 2010.
The 555-km pipeline, to be built by TAPCO, a company jointly owned by Eni and Çalik Enerji, later will increase deliveries to 1.5 million b/d.
An Eni spokesman told OGJ the company expects to invest $1.75-2 billion or more on TAP, but it has not yet awarded contracts for various elements of the project.
The pipeline, which will benefit from synergies with existing plants in Turkey, will transport oil from Russia and Kazakhstan to the Ceyhan oil export hub on the Mediterranean. The pipeline will give Turkey and its port of Ceyhan a strategic role in the oil business.
The project also will improve safety in Turkish straits shipping lanes and contribute to environmental protection of the area's complex ecosystem. The Turkish straits bear annual traffic of 750 million bbl of oil—a figure soon expected to increase to 1.2 billion bbl. When the pipeline becomes operational, however, oil tanker traffic in the straits can be reduced by 50%.
Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].
