BP: Mixing Kazakh oil with Azeri Light does not affect quality

The mixing of Kazakh oil with Azeri Light does not impact the quality of the blend transported through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, spokesperson for BP-Azerbaijan, Tamam Bayatly, said, according to Report.

"Since the BTC pipeline was commissioned, strict requirements have been in place for the oil entering the pipeline. Only crude that meets the established specifications can be transported, as the price of the blend is determined based on Azeri Light’s characteristics," she told journalists.

Bayatly noted that, in addition to oil from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block, the BTC pipeline also transports condensate from the Shah Deniz field, oil from other Azerbaijani fields, as well as Turkmen and Kazakh oil.

"Third-party crude is accepted into the BTC pipeline only in volumes that do not affect the quality of Azeri Light," she added.

She also stated that if Kazakh oil shipments increase significantly in the future, alternative routes may need to be used. "This issue will need to be resolved between the Kazakh side, the Azerbaijani government, and SOCAR," Bayatly said.