Dirty oil from Azerbaijan has reached Europe

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline got Caspian oil with organic chlorides, which can damage the refinery equipment. Some parties have reached Europe.

The oil supplied via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline contains oil with organic chlorides, which are used to increase the extraction of raw materials. British BP reported that it is aware of potential problems with contamination of some oil shipments from Azerbaijan.

"The company stated that the problems are related to organic chlorides, a chemical substance that, in significant quantities, can damage the equipment of oil refineries. Italy's Eni SpA said it acquired some of the contaminated oil, and some of it ended up at its refineries," Bloomberg reports.

When the contamination was discovered, the shipment of raw materials to tankers in Turkish Ceyhan was stopped for several days. According to Reuters, there were no shipments on July 19-23. And only today the tanker Searanger received the first batch. The ship stayed in port for four days.

"Each cargo was tested before loading," a source told Reuters.

"BTC has been made aware of a potential quality problem. Currently, the quality of crude oil is being assessed in all directions of facilities along the pipeline," the pipeline operator said.

BP, which is also the largest oil producer in Azerbaijan, reported that the assessment activities have not yet been completed.

Sources told Reuters that at least 3-4 batches of oil were contaminated. Because of this, the cost of raw materials has dropped to a 4-year low, the agency reports.

As EADaily reported, purchases of Russian oil allow Azerbaijan to increase oil exports. There is a growing shortage of raw materials for domestic consumption in the country.