Turkish President approves, Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline set for 2008

According to the Journal of Turkish Weekly online edition, the decree was sent from the Cankaya Presidential Residence to the Prime Ministry.

Calik Energy will work in cooperation with Italian natural gas company ENI to construct the pipeline.

ENI and Calik Energy announced that they will work together on the project proposing a 550 kilometers long line which will transfer 50-70 million tons of oil.

According to the blueprints, the new pipeline will start in Samsun and reach to Kirikkale, the new refinery city, and will connect to the Ceyhan-Kirikkale pipeline there.

Construction of the pipeline is estimated at $1.5 billion.

The Calik-ENI partnership was allotted a six-month period to conduct feasibility studies on the line.

Erdal Celik, chairman of the executive board, said they aim to complete the project in two years time.

Turkey wants to build the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline since Russian and Caspian oil in not transferable via the Baku-Thibilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

The government wishes to transform Ceyhan into an energy base, and plans a $10 billion investment for an LNG terminal, oil refinery and petrochemical plants.

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