BY ECONOMICS SECTION
Greek mass media amazed the world public with their awareness in oil extraction sphere, as well as in sea and river navigation.
‘Turkey reached an agreement with Azerbaijan to explore gas fields near coasts of unrecognised Northern Cyprus Republic,’ they write, and affirm that Turkey has agreed with Azerbaijan on leasing two sea platforms for gas extraction in the Mediterranean Sea. These platforms will be delivered to Turkey in February and start operating on blocks 2 and 3 in the Mediterranean.
Let’s look at two questions of which Greek mass media did not care to think. Then we can continue with our reasoning. The first question – transportation of Azerbaijani platforms to the Mediterranean – may be omitted: Greek journalists have no idea of how vast are these objects. At the time when these platforms were built, the equipment was transported by ships to Black Sea ports of Georgia, from there to Baku by railway. Dear Greek journalists, it is impossible to drag the whole platform over from the Caspian sea to the Mediterranean – a distance is too great and parameters of Volga-Don system make it impossible.
Besides, a queue for the Azerbaijani platform in the Caspian is lined up for some years ahead, and this queue is not fixed by the Azerbaijani government but by foreign oil companies and related consortiums. And nobody is entitled to disrupt this order.
As for the second question – a navigation across the Volga-Don system – Greeks are well aware of it. According to ancient legends, they were skilful seafarers. It is a shame to those providing Greek journalists with unverified information: from autumn months to the height of spring no navigation is authorised within this system, of which the Russian authorities notify the Caspian countries. In the meantime, Azerbaijan has no access to the world ocean but this route. How can Azerbaijan deliver these two hard-to-get platforms into the disputed area? Perhaps, Greek seafarers could share their historical experience.
That’s flat. However, the Greek mass media goes on fanning their ‘sensational discovery,’ so an adequate response is required.
Thus, Simerini newspaper points out that in rendering such a service to Turkey Azerbaijan hopes to get the go-ahead from Turks for further widening of its energy projects in this country. In particular, SOCAR is going to purchase a large gas retail company in Turkey, ‘Petrol Ofis’ and is negotiating with parties concerned on the subject. In this respect, the journalists are culpable directly.
It has to be kept in mind that Baku disposes of numerous energy projects in Turkey, and what, did it ever transported to the fraternal country 1000-tonnes platforms to implement these projects? Especially in winter! Talks on SOCAR’s purchase of a new company in this country are underway and likely to be successful even without this platform deal. Besides, SOCAR has an operational experience in Greece, as well as purchase of a Greek company and gas deliveries to this country. From this it follows that platforms or other gigantic devices had been somehow delivered to Greece. Maybe, Greek journalists dispose of facts we are unaware of?
It is hardly possible. A quotation below testifies to absolute unawareness of the Greek newspaper of the situation at the world oil market. ‘Simerini’ notes that oil platforms offered by Azerbaijan were built on the basis of outdated technology. Even worse, one of them was built in the 1980s to prospect at depths to 600 metres only. However, gas deposit ‘Aphrodite’ is located at a depth of 700 metres. To carry out prospecting work on the block ‘Onasagori,’ engineers need technologies to operate at a depth of 800 metres. In short, technologies offered by Azerbaijan cannot carry out prospecting work at the said depths.’
It would be appropriate to remind that the two platforms above are indeed based on outdated Soviet plants; nevertheless, these plants were restored under the BP control to comply with the newest technological standards, so no Greek can find fault with it. As for the depth of their operation, Greeks contradict themselves: is it worth transporting huge floating plants over the hills and far away, if it is known that these plants are unfit for use? Maybe, Greeks themselves are in position to suggest an up-to-day deep water floating drilling unit? They are successful in trading and unlikely to block up seas and rivers. Even better, they will save Turks millions of dollars, and are unlikely to be down themselves.
Note that large-scale gas-condensate fields are supposed to be deposited in the disputed Mediterranean waters. It was prospecting works on the site that led to serious tensions between Turkey and Greek Cyprus.
