Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan plan laying the pipeline of 56 million tonnes capacity
Almaty. October 6. Silkroadnews – Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan plan laying 739 km long Yeskene-Kuryk-Baku pipeline of 56 million tonnes capacity, Trend reports.
According to the article of Azerbaijan's Minister of Energy Natig Aliyev, Kazakhstan possesses huge proven reserves of hydrocarbons making 5.5 billion tonnes of oil and 3 trillion cubic meters of gas.
«It allows Kazakhstan to produce 33.6 billion cubic meters of gas and 80 million tonnes of oil per year, however, except for Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, the country does not have independent, reliable and secure oil export route. The opportunities of Tengiz-Novorossiysk, Atyrau-Samara, Atasu-Alashankou pipelines and the route of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) are not sufficient to meet the growing export potential», the article published on Thursday says.
As N. Aliyev noted, taking into account the capacity of the routes and exports plans to be achieved, the official Astana focused on the Kazakhstan Caspian Transportation System (KCTS).
«According to the KCTS, it is planned to build 739 km long Yeskene-Kuryk-Baku pipeline. (...) The construction of this pipeline will allow Kazakhstan exporting its oil to Georgia and Turkey ports. The initial capacity of the new pipeline is expected to make 23-25 million tonnes per year with the possibility of future expansion to 56 million tonnes», Minister said.
«Feasibility study on Yeskene-Kuryk provides for the construction of pumping station at Tengiz field, main oil pipeline Tengiz-Oporniy-Uzen-Aktau, oil terminal and new port in Kuryk, as well as reconstruction and expansion of the Aktau port», he wrote.
As noted, the KCTS is to provide the export of Kazakhstani oil «mainly from Kashagan (the second and third phases) via the Caspian Sea, using Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and other oil transportation system on the territory of Azerbaijan and other transit countries, to the international markets».
