British Petroleum is leading the consortium of companies intending to build two pipelines, stretching 1700km, to bring oil and gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe. These pipelines would both start from Baku in Azerbaijan, then through Georgia; the oil pipe would then run to Ceyhan in Turkey (see map), and the gas pipeline to Erzurum in eastern Turkey.
The pipelines would transport 365 million barrels of oil and 730 cubic metres of gas each year. When burnt, these would produce 177 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year - more than the pollution from every power station in the UK, and two and a half times the amount of CO2 which the UK has pledged to cut under the Kyoto protocol!
The project has been criticised for its leak and spill risks, particularly since the proposed route crosses more than 20 major rivers, several seismic areas, a desert, two dense primary forests and the buffer zone of a protected natural park in Georgia that houses several rare and endangered species. The pipelines would operate for 40 years, transporting enough oil each year to cover the entire land area of England in a slick 1.5cm thick.
The BP-Turkey "Host Government Agreement" (HGA) exempts BP and other members of the consortium from any obligations under any current or future Turkish law that may threaten the project's profits, including environmental, social and human rights laws. Under the vague terms of the HGA, paramilitary units could be placed along the pipeline route to pre-empt "civil disturbance". As well as passing through war zones, the proposed route cuts through villages and bisects peoples' lands. Many will be evicted, or forced to trespass on oil company property in order to lead their daily lives. Similar situations in other countries (such as BP's pipeline in Colombia) have led to major human rights atrocities.
The companies in the consortium would pay only 30% of the $3 billion cost of the pipeline. The remaining 70% must come from banks and public finance institutions. This includes around œ65 million from the UK Export Credit Guarantee Department. According to BP boss John Browne, the project would not be possible unless "free public money" was offered. This "free money" is our money.
The opposition to the pipeline is growing and your help is needed. Contact Danny (see below) or go along to the campaign meeting with speakers James Marriott (Baku-Ceyhan Campaign) and Manana Kochladze (Caucasus Co-ordinator of the CEE Bankwatch Network from Tbilisi, Georgia - one of the regions affected by the proposal) on 31 October.
Info: Danny Chivers (dannychivers@excite.com)
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