OREANDA-NEWS.  The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), which started physical export of gaseous hydrocarbons through its Georgian terminal on 25 December 2012, exceeds original target levels of their export.

SOCAR informs that in February alone two tanker shipments of gaseous hydrocarbons will be dispatched from BST.

"As a whole, today terminal’s monthly transshipment reached 5,000-5,500 tons of gaseous hydrocarbons - hydrocarbons butylene-butadiene fraction and propylene," the Company said.

Special capacities, the unique in Georgia, were created for such export at the SOCAR’s Black Sea Terminal (BST Ltd) launched on 16 May 2008.

Originally shipping of the first tanker at the terminal for loading with liquid propylene was scheduled for mid-July, but repairs at production capacities in Sumgait did not allow doing that.

At primary stage shipping of liquid propylene will be carried out by tanker shipments of 2,000 or 3,000 tons.

Work on creation of special terminal capacities at BST Ltd were completed at the beginning of this summer. Besides Kulevi, no one terminal in Georgia has capacity for transshipment of such cargo. Moreover, after the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Georgia’s sanction it was constructed a nitrogen system unit required for export of such goods. Liquid polypropylene designed for export will be produced at SOCAR chemical sub-company Azerikimya located in Sumgait.

The new terminal facilities are designed for transshipment of liquid polyethylene and liquid polypropylene. Their construction was delayed because of troubles with delivery of manufacturing equipment from South Korea. New capacities, in addition to liquid polyethylene and liquid polypropylene, will enable, if necessary, also transship liquefied or compressed gas.

Currently the Company orients to transshipment of 8,000-9,000 tons of LPG per month or 110,000-120,000 tons per year with annual capacity of the new terminal up to 150,000 tons.

Currently terminal BST Ltd is designed to transship 10 million tons of oil a year. It is able to accept Aframax tankers.