Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ANKARA4224
2003-07-03 13:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

BOTAS READY TO RESUME PIPELINE OPERATIONS; WAITING

Tags:  EPET ENRG PREL TU IZ 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ANKARA 004224 

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE


DEPT FOR E, EB, NEA/NGA, EUR/SE


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EPET ENRG PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT: BOTAS READY TO RESUME PIPELINE OPERATIONS; WAITING
FOR SOMO

REF: ANKARA 3628




UNCLAS ANKARA 004224

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE


DEPT FOR E, EB, NEA/NGA, EUR/SE


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EPET ENRG PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT: BOTAS READY TO RESUME PIPELINE OPERATIONS; WAITING
FOR SOMO

REF: ANKARA 3628





1. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.



2. (SBU) BOTAS General Manager Mehmet Bilgic told econoff
July 3 that the storage tanks at Ceyhan, which store Iraqi
crude from the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik line, were nearly empty.
The only remaining oil in the storage tanks was bound for
Turkey's Kirakkale refinery. Bilgic said BOTAS was ready to
resume operations of the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline, but was
waiting to hear from SOMO on next steps.



3. (SBU) Bilgic said he had had very useful meetings with
SOMO/CPA officials when they traveled to Ceyhan June 22-23 to
witness the first off-loading of crude onto tankers since the
end of the war. During those meetings, he had offered to
send a BOTAS technical team to Iraq to help repair the
pipeline and to help get the pipeline operating again as soon
as possible. Bilgic said he was still waiting to hear back
from SOMO, and asked econoff to pass this message to Phillip
Carroll's office in OCPA.
PEARSON