Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline

Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline
Location of Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline
Location
Country	Azerbaijan, Russia
General direction	east–north-west
From	Baku (Sangachal Terminal), Azerbaijan
To	Novorossiysk, Russia
Runs alongside	South Caucasus Pipeline
General information
Type	oil
Partners	SOCAR, Azerbaijan International Operating Company, Transneft
Operator	SOCAR, Transneft
Commissioned	1997
Technical information
Length	1,330 km (830 mi)
Maximum discharge	5 million tons per year

The Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline (also known as the Northern Route Export Pipeline and Northern Early Oil Pipeline) is an 1,330-kilometre (830 mi) long oil pipeline, which runs from the Sangachal Terminal near Baku to the Novorossiysk terminal at the Black Sea coast in Russia. The Azerbaijani section of the pipeline is operated by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and the Russian section is operated by Transneft.^[1]

History

A contract on the transportation of Azeri oil via Russia to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk was signed on 18 February 1996. The trilateral contract was concluded between the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, SOCAR and Transneft. The oil transportation through the pipeline started on 25 October 1997.^[2]

On 6 December 2006, after dispute over natural gas supplies from Russia, Azerbaijan announced that it will stop the exports of Azeri oil through the Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline starting on 1 January 2007.^[3] Although SOCAR continued decreased oil supplies through the Baku-Novorossiysk Pipeline, the Azerbaijan International Operating Company stopped using the pipeline starting from 1 April 2007 and SOCAR became the new operator of the Azerbaijani section. ^[4] SOCAR temporarily stopped oil supplies through the pipeline in February 2008 due to a pricing disagreement with Transneft.^[1] Later that year, the disagreement has been resolved and SOCAR resumed pumping oil on old agreement terms. In August 2008, the transport of oil along the Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline was radically increased due to sabotage in Turkey and the conflict in Georgia forcing a temporary shutdown of the rival Baku-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa pipelines. As of 2013, the Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline remains operational, although the volume of oil pumped through it is relatively low. In 2012, SOCAR exported a total of 25 million tons of oil along all routes. Among them, only 2 million tons were exported through the Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline. The remaining 20 million and 3 million tons were exported through the Baku-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa routes respectively.^[5] The crude oil transported through Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline is developed within the framework of Early Oil Project, first stage of larger Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) project.^[6]

Route

The Baku–Novorossiysk Pipeline extends to 1,330 kilometres (830 mi), of which 231 kilometres (144 mi) are laid in Azerbaijan.^[2] In Russia the pipeline runs through Dagestan. Original route run also through Chechnya as it exploited the existing Grozny–Baku and Grozny–Novorossiysk pipelines.^[7][8][9] However, during the Second Chechen War the Chechen section of the pipeline was closed and Transneft built a Chechenya- bypass loop.^[10]

Technical features

The diameter of the pipeline is 530 millimetres (21 in) and the capacity of annual transfer is equal to 5 million tons.^[2][4] In 2009, Azerbaijan pumped 2.55 million tonnes of oil through this pipeline while the volume was only 1.3 million tonnes in 2008^[11]

See also

• Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli
• Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline
• Baku–Supsa Pipeline

References

External links

• Western Route Export Pipeline (BP website)

Black Sea Energy
Oil fields	A-T Anastasievsko-Troitskoye B-T C-T Cobza D-T Delta IV Delta VI Eugenia Eugenia South Gîsca Irina Lebăda Est Lebăda Vest Midia SE Mihaela Olimpiysky Pescăruş Prykerchenske Sinoe Subbotinske Tuapse Tyulenovo Val Shatsky
Natural gas fields	A-E Akçakoca Ana Anca Arkhangelske Balaur Bezimenne Bianca Chaika Clara Cobălcescu Doina Domino Durusu East Cobălcescu Florina Foroska Galata Gina Holitsynske Ioana Izgrev Kaliakra Kaliakra East Kamchia Lira Luceafărul Maria Miorița Muridava Nadia Obzor Odeske Pallas Paula Pelican South Pivdenno-Holitsynske Ropotamo Shmidtivske Shtormove Skifska South Cobălcescu
Pipelines	AGRI AMBO Baku–Batumi Baku–Novorossiysk Baku–Supsa Blue Stream Burgas–Alexandroupoli Caspian Pipeline Consortium Grozny–Tuapse Odessa–Brody PEOP Samsun–Ceyhan South Stream Turkish Stream White Stream
Refineries:	LUKOIL Neftochim Petromidia
Oil terminals:	Kulevi Midia Novorossiysk Tuapse

Pipeline systems of Russia by year of launch
Gas pipelines	Saratov–Moskva pipeline (1946) Northern Lights (1975–1994) Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhgorod pipeline (1983) Yamal–Europe pipeline (1997) Blue Stream (2003) Dzuarikau–Tskhinvali pipeline (2009) Baku–Novo Filya pipeline (2010) Bovanenkovo–Ukhta (2011) Nord Stream (2011–2012) Sakhalin–Khabarovsk–Vladivostok pipeline (2011–2012) Central Asia–Center (1960–1988; 2011–2012) Altai gas pipeline South Stream (cancelled) Turk Stream Power of Siberia (2019)
Petrol pipelines	Grozny–Tuapse oil pipeline (1928) Tikhoretsk–Tuapse pipeline (1962) Druzhba pipeline (1964) Uzen–Atyrau–Samara pipeline (1971) Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline (1997) Baltic Pipeline System (2001) Caspian Pipeline Consortium (2004) Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean oil pipeline (2010) Baltic Pipeline System-II (2012–2013) Murmansk Pipeline (unknown date)
Other pipelines	Ammonia: Tolyatti–Odessa pipeline
See also: Water pipe