Samsun–Ceyhan pipeline
Location of Samsun–Ceyhan pipeline
Location of Samsun–Ceyhan pipeline
Location
CountryTurkey
General directionnorth–south
FromÜnye
Passes throughTokat, Sarız, Göksun, Andırın, Kadirli
ToCeyhan
Runs alongsideBaku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline
General information
Typeoil
PartnersEni, Çalık Enerji, Rosneft, Transneft,
OperatorTrans-Anatolian Pipeline Company
Commissioned2014
Technical information
Length550 km (340 mi)
Maximum discharge1.5 million barrels per day (240×10^3 m3/d)

The Ünye–Ceyhan pipeline, commonly known with its former name, the Samsun–Ceyhan pipeline, was a planned crude oil pipeline traversing Turkey from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean oil terminal in Ceyhan. The aim of the project was to provide an alternative route for Russian and Kazakhstani oil and to ease the traffic burden in the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. The project was halted in 2010. This was confirmed again in 2013.

History

The Samsun–Ceyhan pipeline was planned as a Bosphorus bypass. At the beginning of the 2000s, Tun Oil filed for construction of a pipeline from Samsun through Sivas to Ceyhan.[1] In 2003, the Italian energy company Eni studied possible oil transport routes from the North Caspian area. In 2004, based on the pre-feasibility study, the Samsun–Ceyhan route was selected. Another partner in the project, Turkish company Çalık Enerji, carried out technical and commercial studies, and filed for the construction licence on 31 March 2004.[2] One of the route alternatives involved connecting the Kirikkale refinery; however, this option was rejected.[1]

On 26 September 2005, Eni and Çalık Enerji signed a Memorandum of Understanding for their joint cooperation in the project. A pipeline feasibility study was completed in March 2006. The construction licence was granted in June 2006.[2] The Front End Engineering Design Phase was completed at the beginning of 2007, and the ground-breaking ceremony, attended by the Italian Minister for Economic Development Pierluigi Bersani and the Turkish Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Hilmi Güler, was held in Ceyhan on 24 April 2007.[3] On 13 September 2007, the pipeline was rerouted to start from Ünye instead of Samsun and end at Yumurtalık, although it would still pass through Ceyhan. The new route shortened the pipe by 100 kilometres (62 mi).[4]

On 19 October 2009, at a ceremony held in Milan Italy, Russia and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement guaranteeing a stable regulatory framework and agreeing to the participation of Russian oil companies in the pipeline project. At the same ceremony, Eni and Çalık Enerji signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Transneft and Rosneft to include Russian companies in the development of the project.[5][6] On September 2010, however, Transneft president Nikolay Tokarev said in an interview that work on the project was halted due to "many questions marks about [the pipeline]".[7]

On 27 March 2013, Turkish energy minister Taner Yildiz announced that Eni would not be allowed to go forward with the project due to company's plans for the natural gas exploration off Cyprus, and that the pipeline's project may be suspended if Çalık continues their partnership with Eni.[8] A month later, in April 2013, the Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak said that the project wasn't "economical enough".[9]

Technical features and financing

The project consists of the new unloading terminal and tank farm, a pipeline from the Ünye terminal to Ceyhan, and additional storage capacity in Ceyhan.[2][10] It will be connected with the existing Ceyhan loading terminal.[2]

The length of the pipeline will be 550 kilometres (340 mi). Starting from Sarız, the pipeline will follow the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline's corridor. The diameter of the pipe will vary from 42 inches (1,070 mm) to 48 inches (1,220 mm). It will have four pumping stations and one pressure-reducing station. The designed capacity is 1.5 million barrels per day (240×10^3 m3/d) and initial capacity is 1-million-barrels-per-day (160,000 m3/d). The tank farm in Samsun will have a storage capacity of 6 million barrels (950,000 m3) and the additional tank farm in Ceyhan 8 million barrels (1.3×10^6 m3).[2]

The pipeline is scheduled to become operational in 2012.[11] The project costs are expected to be around $2 billion.[12]

Pipeline company

The pipeline will be constructed, owned and operated by the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline Company (TAPCO), a joint venture of Eni and Çalık Enerji incorporated in Turkey.[13] In 2006, it was announced that Indian Oil Corporation will have a 12.5% stake in the project; however, this deal was not completed.[13] Also Royal Dutch Shell and Total S.A. had expressed their interest in the project.[1] In 2009, it was decided that the new partners in the project will be Rosneft and Transneft, while Lukoil and Kazakhstan have expressed interest in participating in the project.[14]

Environmental impact

Ships passing through the Turkish Straits (the Bosporus and the Dardanelles) currently carry 120 million barrels (19,000,000 m3) of crude oil annually. This figure is expected to exceed 250 million barrels (40,000,000 m3) in the next 10 years. Tanker traffic in the Straits is expected to decrease by 50% when the Samsun–Ceyhan pipeline becomes operational.[15][16]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Julian Lee, ed. (2006-12-11). "New partners sign up for Black Sea-Mediterranean pipeline" (PDF). Centre for Global Energy Studies. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Trans Anatolian Pipeline Project" (PDF). International Energy Agency. October 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  3. ↑ "Eni: ground breaking ceremony for Trans Anatolian Pipeline Project" (Press release). Eni. 2007-04-24. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  4. ↑ "Samsun-Ceyhan Boru Hattı Diye Bir Proje Yok". OdaTV. 7 August 2009.
  5. ↑ Moloney, Liam (2009-10-19). "Eni, Calik, Rosneft Sign Turkey Oil Pipeline MoU". Capital.gr. Dow Jones Newswires. Archived from the original on 2016-02-18. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
  6. ↑ Stephen Jewkes (2009-10-19). "Russia to supply oil to Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
  7. ↑ "Samsun-Ceyhan Boru Hattı Projesi Durdu". Cumhuriyet. 15 September 2009.
  8. ↑ Lehane, Bill (2013-03-27). "Turkey 'cuts ties with Eni' over Cyprus blocks". Upstream Online. NHST Media Group. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
  9. ↑ "Samsun-Ceyhan Boru Hattı Askıda". Vatan. 21 April 2013.
  10. ↑ "Turkey's Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline shortened, starting point changes". Hürriyet. 2008-06-21. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  11. ↑ "Turkey Happy with Russia's Role in Samsun-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline". Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency). 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  12. ↑ "Eni breaks ground on Trans-Anatolian line". Oil & Gas Journal. 2007-04-24. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  13. 1 2 "IOC acquires 12.5 % stake in TAPCO". Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections. 2006-12-21. Archived from the original on 2008-03-16. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  14. ↑ Gleb Bryanski, Selcuk Gokoluk (2009-10-22). "Putin: Kazakhstan may take part in Samsun-Ceyhan". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
  15. ↑ "Samsun-Ceyhan Pipeline Scheduled for 2009". Today's Zaman. 2006-06-13. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  16. ↑ "Turkey to build new oil pipeline to ease burden of Istanbul, Canakkale straits". People's Daily Online. 2006-06-24. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
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