Kazakhstan delays BTC pipeline start-up amid force majeure at Ceyhan terminal

Kazakhstan's state energy company Kazmunaigaz has postponed the start of oil exports from the giant Tengiz oilfield via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline after BP Azerbaijan declared force majeure on oil loadings from Ceyhan.

"Force majeure was declared in Ceyhan, and [Tengiz] crude supplies to BTC were put on hold," a market source said, according to Reuters.

Kazakhstan's state-owned Kazmunaigaz (KMG) planned to begin oil shipments in February via the BTC pipeline from its share in Tengizchevroil (TCO), which it co-owns with US oil major Chevron and other shareholders.

The company expected to ship up to 120,000 tons of crude across the Caspian Sea from the port of Aktau to Baku for transshipment to the BTC pipeline.

Azeri crude oil exports from Türkiye’s Ceyhan port remain halted after sustaining earthquake damage, BP Azerbaijan said, while Azeri crude oil continued to flow there via a pipeline.

Damage assessment and repairs are underway at Türkiye's Ceyhan oil terminal, an official and an industry source said, four days after the earthquake, adding that exports from the BTC pipeline could resume from February 12 unless problems are found.