Caucasus and Central Asia in the Globalization Process
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the last 15 years has given the substantial answer.
Still many pipelines are not yet fully operational
because of their geographical location and
geopolitical consequences. There are several
pipelines proposed, constructional, and under-
constructional pipeline waiting for the finalization.
The important pipelines can be divided into
three blocks through which these countries share
most of the oil to the world economy. These three
blocks are proposed, existing and under
construction (Map 4). However, several factors
threaten to complicate the region's potential;
including lack of adequate export infrastructure,
disagreement over new export routes, border
disputes between the littoral states, OPEC’s
monopoly of using this black gold as a strategic
tools and supply shortages within the OPEC has
made developments of the resources of the
Caspian area very attractive. Oil contribution
through the pipeline policy and the transportation
route creates the geo-political and geo-strategic
impact on the Center part of the Caspian basin to
the various countries in the World Island.
Region’s
physiographic
constraints
have
complicated the transportation of resources and
increased the interdependence heavily upon each
other for trade and transportation routes
There are big monopolies in the transportation
route of these oil and gas resources. The USA and
European countries “win win” policy and good
support to those pipelines prevent Russia and Iran
from exerting added influence in the Caspian Sea
oil market. There are emerging long term plans for
major regional export pipelines, which are subject
of heated debate. The following routes are being
considered presently in the negotiations:
i) Trans-Caspian oil and gas pipeline through
Afghanistan, Pakistan and India have been
successfully signed in early Feb 2007. Once this is
operational, it will be fulcrum of the magnificent
economic prospect for Caspian littorals.
ii) American and European oil companies tend
to oppose a Baku-Iran-Nakhchivan–Ceyhan route,
due to its high costs. They prefer, instead, the
Baku-Armenia-Turkey route. It is hoped that this
route would foster cooperation between Baku and
Yerevan.
iii) Russia would prefer to see Baku-Grozny-
Tikhoretsk-Novorossiisk pipeline. This would
ensure continued Russian influence on oil
transportation in Azerbaijan and the Republics of
Central Asia.
iv) Many individuals and states were joining
forces to have the Baku- Ceyhan selected as the
most viable pipeline for transporting Caspian oil
to the world market. The main supporters of this
proposal are Azerbaijan, Turkey, United States,
and Kazakhstan along with the partial support of
Turkmenistan and Georgia. The battle over the
issue of the main oil pipeline still continues.
Despite the fact that some positive developments
have emerged concerning the legal status of the
Caspian Sea. Thus, these unresolved issues will
continue to create uncertainty for Azerbaijan and
Central Asian Republics in its efforts to develop
and export its oil and gas.
Neka-Tehran oil pipeline project constitute
major element in the swaps pipeline export system
from the Caspian to the Persian Gulf.
Simultaneously, the Korpedeze-Kurt-Kui (KKK)
gas pipeline is operational since 1997. The Tabriz-
Eruzurm transports natural gas from Shan Deniz
gas field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian to
Turkey. On 21 May 2006 pipeline was
commissioned and gas was pumped to the pipeline
from the Sangachal Terminal. First deliveries of
gas started around 15 December 2006
. 7
Among these, today’s most flourished and
operational route is Baku-Tbilis-Ceyhan (BTC).
This was inaugurated in Turkey in July 2006 and
could be expanded to 75 million tons a year to
accommodate Azeri and Kazakh oil outputs. This
route will strategically connect the Caspian and
Middle Eastern oil producing countries with the
USA and European energy markets.
8
Along with
economic benefits, the pipeline is seen by west as
a project of geo-strategic significance, loosening
Russia’s long standing grip over oil export from
Caspian and isolating Iran also as an oil producer.
The Azerbaijan’s largest hydrocarbon structu-
res are located offshore in the Caspian Sea and
account for most of the country’s current petroleum
production. The majority of Azerbaijan’s oil output
(61% in 2003) originates with SOCAR. Almost all
of Azerbaijan’s natural gas is produced by
SOCAR from offshore fields. The Bakhar oil and
gas field is located off the southern tip of the
Absheron peninsula and currently accounts for
slightly over one-half of the country’s natural gas
output. Recently the output at Bakhar has been
declining and, according to press reports, SOCAR
has begun efforts to develop a new deposit, known
as Bakhar-2 located adjacent to Bakhar. SOCAR
has plans to utilize some of the Bakhar-2 natural
gas production for export in near future. SOCAR
recently completed construction of $29,174
million Bakhar- Neftyaniye Kamni pipeline which
will help double gas transport from the Gunashli
field by 2010, whose planned capacity is approx
194 million cubic feet/day (mcf/d). The Gunashli
field accounts for approx 67% of the oil and 50%
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