Wärtsilä Corporation was awarded a major maintenance and supervision contract from Botas International Ltd (BIL) for the Turkish section of the 1790 km-long Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline connecting the Caspian oilfields to shipping terminals in the Mediterranean.
The new maintenance and supervision contract has a term of three years and is intended to ensure the reliable and safe operation of the four pumping stations along the Turkish part of the pipeline. Wärtsilä is responsible to BIL for supervision of operation and maintenance work at each station. Under the contract, a resident supervisor will be provided for each station.
In 2002 Wärtsilä won the contract to supply 18 pumping units for the Turkish section of the strategic BTC pipeline. The units were installed at four pumping stations in the highlands of Turkey. The total power generated by the units is approximately 100 MW. Wärtsilä’s scope of supply also included, in addition to pumping units, supervision of the installation work. The filling of the BTC pipeline with crude oil began in May 2005, and in July 2006 the first oil shipments were exported from the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.
The 18 pumping units each comprise a centrifugal crude oil pump driven by a Wärtsilä 34SG gas-fuelled engine through a speed-increasing gearbox. The natural gas fuel for the pumping stations is supplied through a gas pipeline running parallel to the crude oil pipeline. The entire Turkish section of the pipeline with pumping stations was constructed by Botas Pipeline Company, and is operated by the special purpose company BIL.
The BTC pipeline begins in Baku, Azerbaijan, and continues through Georgia to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan in Turkey. The pipeline in Turkey represents some 1070 km of the total 1790 km long pipeline. The Wärtsilä-engined pumping stations are located at elevations from 1600 m to 2140 m above sea level.
During the past five years, Wärtsilä has successfully penetrated the oil and gas markets with their products such as pumping units and oilfield power plants. With BTC coming on stream, a total of more than 600 MW of such plant have been delivered to oil fields and pipelines in India, South America, Russia and Africa. A wide product portfolio combined with engineering and project management skills as well as punctual deliveries have made Wärtsilä a recognized supplier to oil companies around the world.