Pipe transport

Pipeline transport devepoled in Azerbaijan considerably due to oil and natural gas. The transportation of oil within the country and abroad in efficient ways demands to develop oil pipeline transport every year. The first oil pipeline was constructed in the Absheron region in connection with oil production. The total lenght of the pipeline is more than 1500 kilometers. 80% of the pipeline is in the Absheron economic region. Shirvan (former Ali-Bayramli)- Baku (130 km), Shirvan (former Ali-Bayramli)-Dashgil (40 km), Dubendi-Boyuk Shor (40 km), Dubendi- Keshle (40 km), Dubendi- Surakhani- Boyuk Shor (40 km), Dashgil- Sagachal- Keshle (90 km), Buzovna-Sabuncu (20 km), Binegedi-Keshle (8 km) are considered important intra-republic oil pipelines and operate in different diameters. At the beginning of the XX century, an oil pipeline of 800 kilometers was put into operation between Baku and Batumi.

The second stage in the development of oil pipeline transport begin with gas production in the republic. In general, we can divide the development of oil pileline transport in connection with gas production into four stages:

The first stage is characterized with the construction of new gas pipes in connection with the discovery of gas fields in Absheron peninsula.

The second stage includes the construction of new pipelines in connection with the development  gas fields in the Kur-Araz region (Shirvan region) including Absheron peninsula.

The third stage is characterized as the stage with the improvement of old pipelines and construction of new ones in connection with the gasification of regions in Azerbaijan. 

The fourth stage is characterized with the construction of international pipilines.

The first stage coincides with the 1950-60; the second with the 1960-70; the thirs with the 1970-1985; the fourth stage with the 1985-2000 years. The general analysis of the gas pipe construction shows that 15.2% of pipe construction falls to the first, 33.8% to the second, 35.7% to the third, and 15.3% to the fourth stage.

Absheron economic region differs from other parts of the Republic both for the history of pipeline transport and for centralization. 14% of general gas pipes of the Republic are centralised in this region. The construction of important gas pipes began frrom this region as well. In 1931, a pipeline of 12.6 kilometers with the diameter of 400 mm was constructed between Kotli DRS and Orconikidze station.

To get the oil that is planned to extract from the Azerbaijan section of the Caspian to the world market, two oil pipeline routes were determined on October 19, 1995.

The first one is called Northern Route. The total lenght of Baku-Grozny-Tikhoretsk-Novorossiysk oil pipeline is 1346 km, in Azerbaijan 230km as well. On October 25, 1997 the first oil was carried through this pipeline. 

The second oil pipeline is Western route. This line is 920 kilometers, and 480 kilometers are in Azerbaijan. The pipeline was put into operation on April 17, 1999. Through the pipeline called Baku-Supsa 15 million tons of oil are sent to the Western countries every year.

At the same time, the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline has allowed to get Azxerbaijan oil to the world market since 2006. 50 million tons of oil are carried to the world market through this pipeline.

The total lenght of main pipeline transport in the Republic is equal to 4 600 km.