Pipeliners

20 August, 2008 - Upstream OnLine - UK supermajor BP said today that testing of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil trunkline is set to begin, ahead of a move to resume operations on the route damaged by a fire earlier this month. "We've taken the decision to start dynamic integrity testing of the line today before a move to full operation," BP spokesman Toby Odone told Reuters. "This will involve some limited and intermittent flow of oil through the pipeline. "For ship scheduling purposes, the lifting programme at Ceyhan will be updated today to start loadings from the beginning of next week." The closure of the pipeline, after an explosion on the line in eastern Turkey, caused members of the BTC pipeline consortium to declare force majeure on exports from Ceyhan. BP holds 30.1% of BTC, while Socar holds 25%. Other shareholders include Chevron, ConocoPhillips, StatoilHydro, Eni and Total. Kurdish separatist guerrillas claimed responsibility for the explosion, although energy and military officials said they doubted the explosion was caused by sabotage.