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Russia undecided on participation in Baku-Ceyhan oil
pipeline
January 27, 2002
AFP
MOSCOW: Russia has not yet decided whether to participate in the proposed Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline project, as Moscow remains unconvinced of its economic viability, Russia's ambassador in Azerbaijan said Saturday.
"We are watching this project's development with interest, waiting to make our decision," Nikolai Ryabov was quoted as saying by the RIA-Novosti news agency.
"We reject no projects, but our first consideration is how profitable any given project turns out to be," Ryabov added.
Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, the United States and later Kazakhstan agreed on building the pipeline, which is due for completion in 2005.
The pipeline will run 1,743 kilometres (1,089 miles) from the Azeri capital Baku, through Georgia to Ceyhan in Turkey.
Some energy analysts have warn that the project is not commercially viable but is being pushed through by Washington for political reasons. But backers insist it will turn a profit.
The BTC consortium currently comprises BP, which is also the operator, Azeri state oil company SOCAR, ExxonMobil, Statoil, ENI Agip, Unocal, Delta Hess, Devon, TPAO and Itochu.
The US oil major ChevronTexaco also announced its intent to join the 2.9-billion-dollar project in December last year.
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