CASPIAN OIL TO GERMANY SLOVAKIA-UKRAINE-KAZAKHSTAN: THE COOPERATION IS POSSIBLE

The Caspian oil transportation project on Odessa-Brodi oil-pipeline interested Slovakia specialists before the construction was put into operation. And just Transpetrol had been the initiator of meetings between ORP representatives and oil-transportation companies of Hungary, the Czech Republic and Austria before the pipeline operation started. The perspectives of the Caspian oil transportation to European market were discussed at these meetings. Such activity of European oil-industry workers is quite logical, as Euro-Asia oil-transport corridor joins Friendship oil-pipeline system in western-Ukrainian Brodi, that passes through the territories of Ukraine, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. According to the preliminary calculations, Friendship oil-pipeline system charging at the area, which passes through these three countries, gives an opportunity to provide additional Caspian oil to these countries.

The attempts of Slovak and Czech oil-transport companies to provide light oil transfer on this way were implemented first in the 90th. The results of the experiment verified that the technological equipment of the oil-pipeline system gives an opportunity to run Russian and Caspian oil without mixing them, and starting such transfer does not require considerable investments to oil-pipeline system.

The most potential customer of the Caspian oil in Central Europe is Czech ORP in Cralupi, where it is impossible to refine the heavy Russian oil, taking into account its technical equipment. The real interest to this project is also conditioned on Czechs desire to operate on serial transfer from Ukraine to Cralupi via Slovakia, using little amount of Ukrainian light oil. Oil delivery to Czech ORP is provided via IKL oil-pipeline, which is connected to western-European oil-transport system. It starts at Italian port terminal Triest at the Mediterranean shore. Then the oil-pipeline moves German Inholshtadt, which is the biggest oil-refining center of Germany.

Czechs constructed an oil-pipeline from Inholshtadt to Cralupi in the mid-90th, where besides the mentioned ORP the State reserve of Czechia is situated. The direction of light oil transportation, especially the Caspian oil, on the way: Odessa-Brodi-Friendship, then on IKL pipeline might permit increasing transfer both for Ukraine and Slovakia. It is necessary to pay attention that such transfer route would mean volume decline of Russian oil transportation, as Czech ORP has not consumed it so far.

But this transportation option will cause complete release of facility in Inholshtadt-Cralupi oil-pipeline. So it is suggested to continue to use it in reverse direction that is from the Czech Republic to Germany.

Depending on the agreements between German ORP and providers, both Russian and Caspian oil might be transported, or both sorts simultaneously. Such an option would permit to increase transportation on Ukrainian, Slovak and Czech oil-pipelines, and at the same time to create new opportunities for perspective volume increase of oil delivery both by Russian oil companies and the oil companies which are functioning in the Caspian region. Resolution of the Turkish Bosfor Strait problems is also an important part of this project.

Thus, the Ukrainian-Slovak-Czech oil-transport corridor is a possible mutually beneficial project for all the participants of the oil market, both the consumers and providers. The cooperation of all interested parties is required to implement this plan.