Baku: The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Company (BTC Co) announced that, effective 1 July 2026, the operatorship of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil export pipeline will transition from BP Exploration (Caspian Sea) Limited (bp) to SOCAR Midstream Operations LLC (SMO), a wholly owned subsidiary of SOCAR, BP told APA-Economics. The transition will cover all three sections of the BTC pipeline - Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Trkiye. Additionally, the management of BTC pipeline activities and the operatorship of common activities related to both the BTC and South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) systems, currently managed by bp, will also be transferred to SMO.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, this transition aligns with the agreements underpinning the BTC project and is part of the final readiness decision. The transfer includes all dedicated BTC facilities and activities, as well as BTC/SCP joint activities across the three countries, excluding those within the Sangachal terminal. The operatorship of the Sangachal terminal will remain unchanged under bp, and the shareholding structure of BTC Co will also remain the same.
Gio Cristofoli, bp's regional president for the Caspian, Central Asia, and Trkiye, noted the significance of this transition for the BTC project, highlighting bp's role in ensuring the efficient and secure operation of the pipeline over two decades. He expressed confidence in SOCAR's ability to maintain high standards of safety and reliability in BTC operations and emphasized the continued partnership with SOCAR and co-venturers.
Rovshan Najaf, President of SOCAR, remarked on the BTC pipeline's contribution to Azerbaijan's sustainable development and regional cooperation. He underscored SOCAR's commitment to ensuring the safe and efficient operation of this strategic energy corridor, reinforcing its role in regional and global energy security.
Earlier, effective 8 June 2026, the Western Route Export Pipeline (WREP) facilities in Azerbaijan and Georgia were returned to entities acting on behalf of the Governments of Azerbaijan and Georgia. SOCAR Midstream Gas Operations LLC has been the commercial operator of SCP since 2015 and the technical operator since 2021, reflecting the collaboration between SOCAR and bp in managing BTC and SCP activities.
The BTC pipeline, a 1,768 km long engineering feat, was designed to export crude oil from the Caspian to the Mediterranean. It generates substantial revenues for the transit countries and strengthens economic and political ties between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Trkiye, and the West. To date, BTC has transported over 4.7 billion barrels of crude oil, contributing significantly to regional development and energy security.