Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline - Oil
Countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Turkmenistan
Capacity: Pumps up to 1 million barrels per day (bpd)
Notes: The first direct pipeline link between the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean, the BTC aims to diversify energy supply for Western Europe beyond the Middle East by transmitting oil from Central Asian sources without passing through Russia or Iran.
Blue Stream Pipeline - Gas
Countries: Russia and Turkey
Capacity: Supplied nearly 9.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2007; eventually will supply 16 bcm annually
Notes: The pipeline, officially launched in 2005, was intended to provide Turkey with natural gas at a reduced price. At the time of its launch, the United States cautioned Turkey about being too reliant on Russia for its energy.
Kirkuk-Ceyhan Pipeline - Oil
Countries: Iraq and Turkey
Capacity: Transported 480,000 bpd in October; ultimate capacity of 1.5 bpd
Notes: The 600-mile structure, which consists of two parallel pipelines, stretches from Iraq’s oil fields in Kirkuk to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq the pipeline shipped nearly 800,000 bpd; however, frequent insurgent attacks and smuggling operations caused the pipeline to largely shut down from 2003 until late summer 2007. In July 2008, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that the countries planned on expanding the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline as well as constructing a gas export line parallel to the oil line, a point reinforced by Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani in October.
South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) - Gas
Countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey
Capacity: Currently 6 bcm per year; estimated to ultimately reach throughput capacity of 20 bcm per year
Notes: The 430-mile pipeline was built jointly and runs in the same corridor with the BTC oil pipeline. It broke Russia’s monopoly on Caspian gas exports to Europe and was briefly shut down during the conflict between Georgia and Russia.
Tabriz-Ankara Pipeline - Gas
Countries: Iran and Turkey
Capacity: Turkey has purchased approximately 10 bcm per year; total capacity of 20 bcm per year
Notes: The pipeline, inaugurated in January 2002, has experienced disruptions at times due to attacks blamed on Kurdish militants, Iranian demand and price and quality negotiations. The pipeline closed in May for five days following an attack in Turkey close to the Iranian border.
In November 2008, Iran and Turkey signed an agreement reinforcing earlier deals that allow for joint construction of a pipeline from Iran to Turkey that will annually supply up to 35-36 bcm of natural gas to Europe. The November accord, which calls for $3.5 billion in Turkish investment in Iran, also allows Turkey to develop Iran’s South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf. In August, the U.S. State Department cautioned Turkey not to reach any energy deals that would hurt U.S. efforts to impose sanctions on Iran. According to the U.S. Iran Sanctions Act, the president can impose sanctions on a person that makes an investment of $20 million or more that significantly helps Iran’s ability to develop its own petroleum resources.
Turkey-Greece Interconnector - Gas
Countries: Greece, Turkey and Italy (planned extension by 2012)
Capacity: Maximum capacity of 11.5 bcm
Notes: The pipeline, inaugurated in November 2007, bypasses Russia by receiving gas from the SCP.
Samsun-Cehyan Pipeline (Under Construction) - Oil
Countries: Turkey
Capacity: Expected supply of 1.5 million bpd by 2010
Notes: Construction of the pipeline, which is designed to ease traffic on the Bosporus Straits, began in April 2007 with oil transports expected to begin in 2011.
Nabucco Pipeline (Proposed) - Gas
Countries: Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Iran, Romania, Turkey and Turkmenistan
Capacity: 31 bcm per year (projected)
Notes: The United States and European Union support the project as an alternative to Russian-owned Gazprom, which holds a virtual monopoly on gas pipelines from Russia and Central Asia to Europe. Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan will supply much of the gas, with Iran eventually coming into the fold if disputes over its nuclear program are resolved. Turkey’s insistence on retaining 15 percent of the gas coming through the pipeline, instead of paying the normal transit fee, has hindered negotiations.
At the same time, Gazprom is planning on constructing the South Stream pipeline. This pipeline would create competition for the Nabucco line, as it would transfer natural gas to different points in Europe. On December 5, Gazprom and Serbia signed a deal ensuring the construction of the pipeline through Serbian land.
