BP says Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline to resume operations

LONDON: BP Plc said on Wednesday that testing of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline would 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," said BP spokesman Toby Odone. "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, freeing them from contractual obligations. BP owns 30.1 percent of BTC, while Socar holds 25 percent.

Other shareholders include US Chevron and ConocoPhillips, Norway's StatoilHydro, Italy's ENI and France's Total. Kurdish separatist guerrillas claimed responsibility for the explosion, although energy and military officials said they doubted the explosion was caused by sabotage.