Azerbaijan’s SOCAR takes over operation of BTC oil export pipeline

A subsidiary of Azerbaijan's State Oil Company (SOCAR) has assumed the role of pipeline operator of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil export pipeline, replacing BP, the British energy company, has announced.

According to BP, BTC Co. said, effective July 1, 2026, operatorship of the pipeline has been transferred from BP Exploration (Caspian Sea) Limited to SOCAR Midstream Operations (SMO), a wholly owned SOCAR subsidiary, Caliber.Az reports.

The transfer covers all three sections of the BTC pipeline in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye.

SMO will also assume responsibility for the operation of the BTC pipeline and joint operational activities related to both the BTC system and the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP), which had previously been managed by BP.

BP made it clear that the transfer is based on the project's governing agreements and covers all BTC facilities and operations across the three countries, as well as joint BTC/SCP activities, except for facilities located at the Sangachal Terminal.

Operatorship of the Sangachal Terminal will remain unchanged, with BP continuing to manage the facility. The ownership structure of BTC Co. will also remain unchanged, the company noted.

SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf said the BTC pipeline had made a significant contribution to Azerbaijan's sustainable development over the past two decades, strengthened regional cooperation and enhanced global energy security.

" The transfer of operatorship of BTC, together with the common operatorship of both the BTC and South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) systems, to SOCAR marks an important milestone that reflects the company’s growing expertise in managing world-class energy infrastructure," Najaf added.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov