Turkey calls on oil companies to further navigation safety in Black Sea

Release Date: 2010-07-01

Turkish authorities on Thursday discussed transportation safety issues with representatives from more than 20 leading oil companies at an international conference in Istanbul.

On the eve of the conference, the Turkish Energy Ministry issued a report saying that the number of tankers transporting energy products via the Black Sea straits has reached "alarming proportions."

"The traffic load, which is currently at the peak of its capacity, increases the risk of technological and environmental disasters in the strait zone," Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told the conference.

The straits Bosporus of and Dardanelles are among the busiest marine highways in the world. According to official data, 154 million tons of oil was transported via the strait zone in 2009. An average of 27 tankers cross the Bosporus and Dardanelles every day.

Earlier, local media announced that Turkey plans to establish a foundation to include oil companies to protect the Black Sea straits from ecological disasters. The amount of investment in the fund is expected to exceed $30 billion.

The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico forced Turkey to the move.

Turkish authorities plan to reduce the transport load by implementing projects such as the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, which will transfer Black Sea oil to the Mediterranean Sea bypassing the Black Sea straits. Turkey said oil companies would not suffer any losses.

Source: RIA Novosti

Type:

NORMAL