Greece, Bulgaria discuss oil pipeline bypassing Bosphorus Strait

• An abandoned pipeline project is being revived by an EU oil embargo and a transit price increase across the Bosphorus Strait.
• The pipeline would run from Alexandroupolis on the Aegean Sea to Burgas on the Black Sea, and possibly even farther north.

An abandoned pipeline project is being revived by an EU oil embargo and a transit price increase across the Bosphorus Strait.

An embargo on Russian oil by the European Union that goes into force on Monday has prompted discussions between Greece and Bulgaria about restarting a long-abandoned oil pipeline project that avoids the Bosphorus Strait.

According to Bulgaria’s Energy Minister Roman Hristov, the pipeline would travel 280 km (174 miles) from the port of Alexandroupolis on the Aegean Sea to the port of Burgas on the Black Sea, and it might even extend farther north to the port of Constanza in Romania.

“We have a two-year derogation [from EU sanctions] to buy Russian oil, but after that, we will face problems because of the hike in transit fees through the Bosphorus,” Hristov said in answer to a question from Al Jazeera at an energy conference in Athens.

So, we have begun discussing the revival of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline, and its extension north to the ports of Varna and Constanza,” he added.

“We support the project,” said Greek Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas in a statement. Neither minister agreed to answer further questions.

The EU’s action hinders tanker traffic between EU ports on the Black Sea’s western coast and Novorossiysk, Russia’s oil export terminal.

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