ANKARA - The foundation of the Turkey part of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline project, which will transport Azerbaijani oil to western markets, will be laid on Thursday.
The construction of Turkey part of the project will officially start in Adana-Ceyhan on September 26.
Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Mesut Yilmaz is expected to attend the ceremony.
Under the project, a 1,076-kilometre long pipeline, land and sea terminal in Adana-Ceyhan and pumping stations will be built.
The pipeline that will carry 50 million tons (one million barrels) of crude oil a day will pass through Ardahan, Kars, Erzurum, Erzincan, Gumushane, Sivas, Kayseri, Kahramanmaras, Osmaniye and Adana.
The BTC crude oil pipeline will be buried under the soil.
Four pumping stations will be constructed on lands ranging between 13 and 18 hectares each.
BTC sea terminal will be composed of seven oil tanks, 6-kilometre loading lines, 2,612-metre export dock and a back-up system.
Construction of the pipeline is expected to be finalized till the end of 2004.
Pipeline Transportation Corp (BOTAS) will undertake operation of Turkey part of the BTC crude oil pipeline for the next 40 years.
About 3 thousand people will be employed in the project which will create millions of U.S. dollars of business opportunities for Turkish businessmen.
The project is expected to cost nearly 1.4 billion U.S. dollars.