Russia demands full loading of the Baku-Novorosiysk oil pipeline

Russia is again demanding an increase in the transit of oil via the Baku-Novorosiysk pipeline to up to 5 million tonnes annually. According to Russian trade representative in Azerbaijan Yuri Shchedrin, talks are actively continuing on filling the pipeline with only Azeri oil, without mixing this with other countries’oil and thus lowering its price. “Azerbaijan should find 5 million tonnes of oil in order for this pipeline to work in a normal regime,” Shchedrin noted.

During the first 11 months of 2008 1,303 tonnes of oil belonging to the Azeri State Oil Company was pumped via the Baku-Novorosiysk pipeline. The Azeri State Oil Company has been the owner of the pipeline’s Azeri part since February 2008.

The Baku-Novorosiysk pipeline has been used for exporting Azeri oil since 1997, however its annual export does not exceed 2.5 million tonnes. Azerbaijan has previously asked Russia if it would let them use the pipeline for exporting oil not extracted in Azerbaijan.