BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 8. The operation of the Western Route Export Pipeline - WREP (Baku-Supsa) has been transferred to government entities in Azerbaijan and Georgia, bp Azerbaijan said in response to Trend’s inquiry.
“As previously communicated, and in line with the relevant contractual frameworks, the Western Route Export Pipeline (WREP) (Baku-Supsa) facilities-excluding those located within the Sangachal Terminal-were returned to the appropriate government entities in Azerbaijan and Georgia, effective 8 June 2026,” bp Azerbaijan said.
bp’s Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, Giovanni Cristofoli, said on June 2 on the sidelines of Baku Energy Week that the step does not constitute an asset sale or divestment.
“This step does not constitute a sale of assets or ‘divestment,’ but merely the fulfillment of previously signed contractual obligations,” he said, adding that “operational control of the pipeline is being returned to its owners in the respective countries and is being implemented in accordance with the parties’ pre-agreed legal obligations.”
In parallel, in May 2026, during the visit of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to Azerbaijan, SOCAR Midstream Operations LLC and the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation signed operating terms governing the Georgian section of the Western Route Export Pipeline, including the Supsa Oil Terminal and related infrastructure.
In July 2025, Kazakhstan signaled potential future interest in the route, with Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov telling Trend on the sidelines of the 17th ECO Summit in Khankendi that the country considers the pipeline a promising export corridor. “We are in constant contact with our colleagues from SOCAR and are considering any possible transport corridors, including Baku–Supsa,” he said.
According to SOCAR data published on the company's website, a total of 738 million barrels of oil have been transported through the Baku-Supsa pipeline since the start of commercial operations up to April 1, 2026.
The Western Route Export Pipeline transports crude oil from offshore fields in the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea, from where it is shipped via tankers through the Bosporus to European markets.
The pipeline begins at the Sangachal terminal near Baku and runs through Azerbaijan and Georgia to the Supsa terminal on the Georgian Black Sea coast, with a total length of 829 km.
Construction began following the intergovernmental agreement between Azerbaijan and Georgia in April 1996 and was completed in November 1998. The pipeline has been operational since February 1999, while the Supsa terminal was inaugurated on April 17, 1999. A full re-commissioning programme was undertaken in 2008.
In 2007, WREP was shut down for extensive repair and replacement works, including pipeline section upgrades in Azerbaijan and Georgia. During the shutdown, alternative export routes were used to ensure uninterrupted supply to global markets.
The WREP system includes six pump stations—three in Azerbaijan and three in Georgia—along with two pressure reduction stations in Georgia, 59 block valves with check valves along the route, and intermediate pigging stations.
According to SOCAR data obtained by Trend, the pipeline has a throughput capacity of 5.2 million tons per year.
