Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

The Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline will, once it has been completed, transport crude oil from the landlocked Caspian Sea oil fields to the Mediterranean. The pipeline is being commissioned by BP, in cooperation with a number of smaller oil companies.

At 1760km long, the pipeline route crosses Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, making it the longest oil pipeline in the world. The pipeline will include 8 pumping stations, 2 intermediate pigging stations and 87 block valve stations as part of it's design, and it will be buried for it's entire length. The pipeline is 42" wide for most of it's length, narrowing to 36" wide as it nears Ceyhan.

The pipeline has a projected lifespan of 50 years, and when working at normal capacity, will transport 1 million barrels of oil per day. The pipeline is due to begin operation in late 2004.