The Baku–Supsa Pipeline, which is one of the strategic facilities passing through Georgia, has suspended transporting oil since May.
The Azerbaijani side made a decision to reduce oil transportation through Georgia and then the Black Sea in March, and the operation of the Baku-Supsa Pipeline actually stopped in April. Instead, crude oil was completely diverted to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline, through which tankers are filled in the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.
As BP - the operator of the Baku-Supsa Pipeline - said, they currently do not know when shipments will resume on this route.
"Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) has decided to temporarily suspend the operation of the western export pipeline (Baku-Supsa) and the Supsa terminal on the Black Sea. This is a precautionary measure to avoid potential risks in the operation of the Baku-Sufs pipeline, related to the potential unavailability of tankers and safety concerns faced by shippers," - BP's press office reported.
The Baku-Supsa Pipeline carried an average of 0.4-0.5 million tons of oil per month before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In March 2022, this volume decreased to 0.2 million tons, in April - to 0.1 million, and in May - to 0.
Instead, the load capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline increased. In the pre-war period, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline carried an average of 2.2-2.3 million tons of oil per month, this volume increased to 2.4 million tons.
According to official statistics, the load on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa Pipelines has been decreasing for the past few years. For example, in 2010, 42.4 million tons of oil were transported through these two pipelines, and in 2021, this figure decreased to 30.6 million tons.
The length of the Baku-Supsa Pipeline itself is 830 kilometers and it was put into operation in 1999. In 2021, 4.2 million tons of crude oil were transported through this pipeline. The official name of the pipeline is WREP [the Western Route Export Pipeline] and it is owned by a consortium of international companies. These companies are - BP (30.4%); SOCAR (25%); MOL (9.6%); INPEX (9.3%); Equinor (7.3%); ExxonMobil (6.8%); TPAO (5.7%); ITOCHU (3.6%); ONGC Videsh Limited (2.31%).
In 2021, the Oil and Gas Corporation received GEL 27.5 million as a commission income for operating the Baku-Supsa Pipeline.
0
0
One US dollar trades at GEL 2.7174
10/07/2025
