The pipeline that will change the world

[cal04]

It is 42 inches wide, 1,090 miles long and is intended to save the West from relying on Middle Eastern oil. Nothing has been allowed to stand in its way - and it finally opens today. The first drops of crude will snake their way along a pipeline that traverses some of the most unstable and war-ravaged countries on earth. This is the oil flow that was meant to save the West, and this morning the taps were turned on. Only 42 inches wide, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan was supposed to alter global oil markets forever. The 1,000-mile project has transformed the geopolitics of the Caucasus and its impact is now being felt in the vastness of central Asia.

Output is supposed to reach one million barrels a day - more than 1 per cent of world production - from an underground reserve that could hold as many as 220 billion barrels. Its architects and investors claimed the pipeline would shore up energy supplies in the US and Europe for 50 years, protecting our gas-guzzling way of life and easing our reliance on the House of Saud.

The goal of the ambitious project, which makes its tortuous way from the Caspian in Azerbaijan, through Georgia to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, is to ease the reliance of the West on the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and bring cheaper fuel to our filling stations. The pipe threads its way through the region in a seemingly modest private corridor only 50 yards wide but nothing has been allowed to stand in its way. From forests to labour laws and endangered species to democracy protesters: all have given way to the costliest and most significant pipeline ever built.

The project, known as BTC, has driven a wedge between the US and Russia, triggered political unrest in the countries it passes through and their neighbours and sparked concern at extensive damage to the environment. Since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US, concern at the West's dependence on Persian Gulf oil has intensified. For Washington, the opening is a cause for celebration. "We view this as a significant step forward in the energy security of that region," said Samuel Bodman, the American energy secretary, who stood next to the three heads of state at today's ceremony.

rest of the article
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/story.jsp?story=641172

[mhr]

1. Initial Drilling Has Shown That The Caspian Area Has Nowhere

Near the billions expected.

No link, Google it.

[Maple]

4. This link?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050524/ROILBAKU24/TPInternational/TopStories

"But after 10 years of hype, the Caspian oil balloon has burst. When the first crude begins its winding 1,760-kilometre path through mountain passes and around conflict zones on its way to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, few will be expecting it to have much of an impact on oil prices. Instead, the question that will be asked is: How much more oil is there, really? And how did so many get so badly snookered?"

[phantom power]

2. ignoring the futility of building a future on oil...

how do you guard 1000 miles of pipeline?

[bemildred]

5. Sounds like an excellent opportunity for extortion. nt

[whistle]

3. Uhmmm, that pipeline will have to pump 95.7 billion cubic feet of

...oil before a single drop is received at the other end, almost 2/3 of a cubic mile to fill it up.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Calculations?

As far as I can see:

42 inches wide = radius of 1.75 feet
cross sectional area of pi*1.75*1.75=9.62 square feet
volume=9.62 * 5280 feet/mile * 1090 miles = 55 million cubic feet

That's still about 10 million barrels - about 10 days full production, according to the article. Which does sound more reasonable than your figure - I can't see them waiting 17,000 days to get oil to the other end.

[whistle]

7. Your math is better than my math, thanks

[hatrack]

8. Yes, and Central Asia is SOOOOOOOO stable

There will never be political uprisings or unrest that might affect the safety of the Freedom Pipeline, will there?

:eyes: