View source for Trans-Caspian Oil Transport System

{{outdated|since 2009|date=March 2016}}

The '''Trans-Caspian Oil Transport System''' is a proposed project to transport oil through the [[Caspian Sea]] from [[Kazakhstan]]i Caspian oilfields to [[Baku]] in [[Azerbaijan]] for the further transportation to the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] or [[Black Sea]] coast. The main options under consideration are an offshore [[oil pipeline]] from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan, and construction of [[oil terminal]]s and [[oil tanker]]s fleet.<ref name=guliyev>
{{cite paper
 | last1 = Guliyev | first1 = Farid
 | last2 = Akhrarkhodjaeva | first2 = Nozima
 | series = RussCasp Working Paper
 | url= http://www.fni.no/russcasp/Kazakh_Azeri_%20oil_transport_RussCasp_Working_Paper.pdf
 | title= Transportation of Kazakhstani Oil via the Caspian Sea (TKOC). Arrangements, Actors and Interests 
 | date=2008-11-18
 | accessdate=2010-03-04}}
</ref><ref name=ihs090606>
{{cite news
 |url= http://www.ihsglobalinsight.com/SDA/SDADetail6096.htm
 |title= Kashagan Partners Eye US$4-bil. Trans-Caspian Oil Transport System to Connect to BTC Pipeline
 |publisher= IHS Global Insight
 |date=2006-06-09
 |accessdate=2010-03-04}}
</ref><ref name=edm150505>
{{cite news
 | publisher = [[The Jamestown Foundation]]
 | newspaper = [[Eurasia Daily Monitor]]
 | first = Vladimir | last = Socor
 | authorlink = Vladimir Socor
 | url = http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=30404
 | title= Trans-Caspian Oil Pipeline Planned in Kazakhstan
 | date=2005-05-05
 | accessdate=2010-03-04}}
</ref><ref name=edm200606/>  A strong push for the project has been from the partners of the Kashagan oilfield project and in particular Total who has a share in both the field and the BTC pipeline. They have estimated that such a project would cost roughly US$4&nbsp;billion. The project also faces opposition from Iran and Russia, both alternative avenues for Kazakhstan's oil and gas who would likely object to competing pipelines being built.<ref name=ihs090606/>

==History==
In 2005, the [[Government of Kazakhstan]] adopted plans for creation of a trans-Caspian westbound route for oil export.<ref name=edm150505/>  On 19 June 2006, President of Kazakhstan [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]] and President of Azerbaijan [[Ilham Aliyev]] signed a framework agreement on the trans-Caspian oil transport system.<ref name=edm200606>
{{cite news
 | publisher = [[The Jamestown Foundation]]
 | newspaper = [[Eurasia Daily Monitor]]
 | first = Vladimir | last = Socor
 | authorlink = Vladimir Socor
 | url= http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=31797
 | title= Oil Tanker Shipment — the Short-term Default for Trans-Caspian Oil
 | date=2006-06-20
 | accessdate=2010-03-04}}
</ref>  On 24 January 2007, partners in [[TengizChevroil]] (developer of [[Tengiz field]]) and KCO ([[Kashagan field]] developer)signed a memorandum of understanding to create a trans-Caspian oil transport system.<ref name=edm240107>
{{cite news
 | publisher = [[The Jamestown Foundation]]
 | newspaper = [[Eurasia Daily Monitor]]
 | first = Vladimir | last = Socor
 | authorlink = Vladimir Socor
 | url= http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=32424
 | title= Western Majors Sign Agreement of Intent on Trans-Caspian Oil Transport System
 | date=2007-01-24
 | accessdate=2010-03-04}}
</ref>  On 2 October 2009, the national oil company of Kazakhstan [[Kazmunaygas]] and the [[State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic]] signed a memorandum of understanding to expand the Caspian Oil Transport System to include Azeri infrastructure and onshore pipelines from Baku to [[Kulevi oil terminal]] in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]].<ref name=ihs051009>
{{cite news
 |url= http://www.ihsglobalinsight.com/SDA/SDADetail17714.htm
 |title= SOCAR, Kazmunaigaz Sign New Caspian Oil Transit Accords
 |publisher= IHS Global Insight
 |date=2009-10-05
 |accessdate=2010-03-04}}
</ref><ref name=trend021009>
{{cite news
 |url= http://en.trend.az/capital/securities/1552005.html
 |title= Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan sign documents on Trans-Caspian project and new pipeline
 |publisher= [[Trend News Agency]]
 |date=2009-10-02
 |accessdate=2010-03-04}}
</ref> 

On 6 October 2009, an agreement on the oil pipeline from Kashagan to Baku was signed by consortium of French companies during the French President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]'s visit to Kazakhstan.<ref name=ogj290109/>

==Oil pipeline==
A {{convert|700|km|adj=on}} long oil pipeline will run from [[Kashagan field]] or Kuryk to Baku.<ref name=edm150505/><ref name=ogj290109>
{{cite news
 | url= http://www.ogj.com/articles/2009/10/france--kazakhstan.html
 | title= France, Kazakhstan seal long-term energy accords
 | first1 = Eric | last1 = Watkins
 | first2 = Doris | last2 = Leblond
 | publisher= [[PennWell Corporation]]
 | journal= [[Oil & Gas Journal]]
 | volume= 107
 | issue = 38
 | date=2009-10-06
 | accessdate=2010-03-04}}
</ref>   Work for the pipeline is still in the feasibility stage according to an official from the oil company [[Total S.A.|Total]].

==Shuttle tankers system==
The shuttle tankers system envisages an usage of oil tankers to transport oil from Kuryk terminal in Kazakhstan to [[Sangachal Terminal]] in Azerbaijan.<ref name=edm240107/>  The capacity of this system would be {{convert|500000|oilbbl/d}} in the initial stage, rising later up to {{convert|1.2|Moilbbl/d}}.<ref name=ihs051009/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Azerbaijan|Kazakhstan|Energy}}
* [[Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea]]
* [[Kulevi oil terminal]]
* [[Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://cgs.illinois.edu/resources/webvideo/the-globalization-energy-resources-tapping-caspian-oil-and-gas The Globalization of Energy Resources: Tapping Caspian Oil and Gas]. Lecture presented by Jonathan Elkind, Independent energy, environment and security consultant and former Director for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian Affairs, National Security Council (1998-2001). October 19, 2006. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

[[Category:Oil pipelines in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Oil pipelines in Azerbaijan]]
[[Category:Caspian Sea]]
[[Category:Proposed pipelines in Asia]]
[[Category:Azerbaijan–Kazakhstan relations]]
[[Category:Submarine pipelines]]
[[Category:Proposed pipelines in Europe]]