Transneft: Oil pumping via Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline suspended - UPDATED

Baku. 1 August. REPORT.AZ/Report was told at the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), Azerbaijani side has not stopped pumping oil through this pipeline: 'No interruption occurred in transportation, oil pumping continues according to the schedule'.

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Baku. 1 August. REPORT.AZ/ Russian Transneft company halted oil pumping via Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline due to the earthquake in Azerbaijan this morning.

Report informs citing TASS Agency, the company's official representative Igor Demin told reporters.

He also noted that work in the port continues as usual: 'Loading continues according to the schedule'.

Notably, Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline was built to transport crude oil to the north. Through this pipeline, crude oil is transported to the Novorossiysk port passing from Russian territory. Relevant contract was signed in Moscow on February 18, 1996. First oil was delivered to the world market on October 25, 1997.

Starting from March 1, SOCAR has resumed pumping oil to Novorossiysk. The contract between Transneft and SOCAR on transport of Azerbaijani oil via Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline in 2016 has been formalized at the end of February this year.

Today earthquake occurred in Azerbaijan. Report was told in the Republican Seismological Service Center under Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), tremors recorded in Imishli region at 08:46 local time. Magnitude of the quake was 5.6, depth 19 km. The earthquake was felt in the neighboring regions up to 4 points.