BP hands over BTC pipeline operations to SOCAR

BP has transferred operational control of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline to the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR).

The handover also includes general operations for the South Caucasus Gas Pipeline, effectively ending BP's role as the system operator for these critical export corridors.

The development signals a deeper integration of Azerbaijan's state energy assets into the management of regional transit infrastructure.

For traders, the shift underscores the growing influence of SOCAR in determining flow dynamics across the Caspian and Black Sea routes, which remain vital for Central Asian crude exports.

This operational change follows recent diplomatic efforts to expand the pipeline's utility.

Kazakhstan and Georgia recently agreed to increase crude shipments through the BTC system, aiming to diversify export routes away from traditional bottlenecks.