BTC design capacity to reach 1mln bpd in 2Q

He said the pipeline's throughput has steadily increased as facilities and pump stations have been brought on line following the completion of BTC linefill in late May and the highest daily flow-rate via BTC to date has been over 600,000 barrels in February.

"Since the first tanker lifting at Ceyhan lat June 73 million barrels (about 10mln tonnes) of crude oil have been exported via the pipeline. The current export rate via BTC is running ahead of expectations and the pipeline is expected to achieve one million barrels per day (approximately 50mln tonnes per year) in late 2008. Current activity is focused on the final commissioning of pump stations to run on gas. This will enable the design capacity of one million barrels of oil per day to be reached during the second quarter of this year. At its peak the Ceyhan Terminal will fill 1-2 tankers a day," he noted.

He added the first delivery of Shah Deniz condensate into the line was made in January this year while the pipeline initially carried only Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil.

"It is expected that future volumes will include those from across the Caspian, possibly commencing by the end of 2007," he underscored, APA reports.