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Viewing cable 06ANKARA1527, TURKEY: PLAYING CHICKEN ON BTC AND CASPIAN GAS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06ANKARA1527 2006-03-23 11:24 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Ankara
VZCZCXRO9179
RR RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHAK #1527/01 0821124
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 231124Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4181
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001527 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USDOC FOR 4212/ITA/MAC/CPD/CRUSNAK 
DOE FOR CHARLES WASHINGTON 
EUR ALSO FOR MATT BRYZA AND STEVE MANN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2016 
TAGS: EPET ENRG EINV PREL TU GG AZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY: PLAYING CHICKEN ON BTC AND CASPIAN GAS 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 1010 
 
     B. ANKARA 65 
     C. 05 ANKARA 7312 
     D. ANKARA 7067 
 
Classified By: DCM NANCY MCELDOWNEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1.  (C) Summary: During Ambassador Steven Mann's March 17 
meetings in Ankara, Turkish government and BTC officials said 
they are still aiming for loading the first oil tanker May 27 
in Ceyhan, although the target date for an official ceremony 
has slipped to July.  The BTC consortium and BOTAS are at 
loggerheads about sharing responsibility for funding 
approximately $330 million in cost over-runs under the lump 
sum-turnkey contract awarded to BOTAS for pipeline 
construction in Turkey.  Turkish and U.S. officials stressed 
the importance of Azerbaijan and Georgia in developing 
southern corridor east-west natural gas transit.  There is 
interest in exploring links to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. 
End Summary. 
 
---------------------- 
Playing Chicken on BTC 
---------------------- 
 
2.  (C) In a March 17 meeting in Ankara with Ambassadors 
Wilson and Mann, BTC CEO Michael Townshend reaffirmed the 
target of first tanker loading at Ceyhan May 27, with an 
official ceremony the second week of July.  Sharing his 
concerns about BOTAS, capacity to complete the work and 
lamenting the political reality that the GOT Treasury 
guarantee was not actionable, Townshend stressed that the BTC 
consortium could not accept full responsibility for delays 
and cost over-runs.  The BTC CEO shared what he described as 
a final and generous offer to the Turkish Minister of Energy 
to accept limited responsibility and fund a portion of cost 
over-runs.  Townshend felt this would expedite completion in 
a win-win way and avoid a messy arbitration where the GOT 
would win a less advantageous result.  Out of about $330 
million in disputed claims, BTC,s final offer calls for 
BOTAS to cover $80 million.  (BTC has already advanced $192 
million to BOTAS.)  In addition, the BTC consortium would 
provide other measures to assist cash flow at BOTAS and its 
pipeline operating arm (BIL ) BOTAS International). 
 
3.  (C)  Ambassador Wilson agreed that arbitration would not 
be a productive path, noting the negative signals this would 
create for building links to Kazakhstan for BTC and for 
improving Turkey,s investment environment when Turkey aims 
to seed $126 billion in energy investment, including moving 
forward on ambitious plans for a new nuclear power program 
and catalyzing Ceyhan as a regional energy hub. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Natural Gas From Azerbaijan and Beyond 
-------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C)  Townshend also reported that construction of the 
follow-on South Caucasus Pipeline for Shah Deniz natural gas 
is remarkably proceeding on schedule for the end of 2006.  He 
expects delays in BOTAS achieving connection to the Turkish 
grid at Erzurum.  Townshend noted, however, that BOTAS had 
asked BTC if it could secure a natural gas compressor, 
critical for completion of the connection ) and not at all 
easy to procure on short notice. 
 
5.  (C) In a separate March 17 lunch hosted by the MFA, 
Turkish officials raised a number of energy questions, 
including Georgia,s request for additional and earlier gas 
from the SCP.  Energy DDG Mithat Rende criticized Georgia,s 
arbitrary increase in projected annual demand from 1.2 BCM to 
3.5 BCM, based on inflated rosy projections for domestic 
growth and a chemical fertilizer plant.  He and Mann agreed 
that regardless of source, the fact was becoming clear that 
Georgia would have to pay a market rate for gas.  Rende 
articulated Turkey,s oft-repeated position that Shah Deniz 
gas offered Turkey diversification, re-export rights, and 
advantageous pricing. 
 
6.  (C)  These issues were also discussed by A/S Fried in 
separate meetings March 16 at the MFA with Under Secretary 
Tuygan, Deputy Under Secretary Uzumcu and DDG Rende.  Fried 
described the current focus on energy issues involving both 
 
ANKARA 00001527  002 OF 002 
 
 
Azerbaijan and Georgia as "huge".  Seldom, he said, had he 
seen the Europeans react with such alacrity as they had after 
the Russian gas cut-off to Ukraine.  Suddenly they were 
serious about diversification of energy supplies.  He noted 
that EB A/S Wayne would give the definitive USG policy 
statement at a March 17 NATO energy meeting.  Fried had told 
President Aliyev that, while the U.S. was offering no final 
endorsements, we supported the notion of at least exploring 
Trans-Caspian gas, whether from Turkmenistan or Kazakhstan. 
Such gas would run through Azerbaijan and Georgia and, if 
there is an N-K settlement, perhaps through Armenia as well. 
The Russians are not happy, but were embarrassed at the 
reaction to the gas cut-off.  They still stand to earn a 
great deal.  What is needed is competition, not the monopoly 
that Gazprom currently enjoys.  Nazarbayev may not be a 
democrat, for example, but he can add up the difference 
between $10 (from Gazprom) and $110 (from the free market) 
per BTU.  Aliyev is very aware of the issue.  We hope, Fried 
said, that Shah Deniz moves ahead. 
 
7.  (C) On BTC, Fried said the Azeris and others had 
expressed serious concerns about apparent BOTAS-related 
construction delays in Turkey.  Tuygan, who seemed surprised, 
explained that the oil had come as far as Erzurum and the 
first tanker would be filled by late May.  Turkey, too, was 
interested in energy diversification, and wanted to serve as 
a transit hub for oil and gas.  Of course the Caspian region 
was very important, but there were possibilities for Egyptian 
gas as well.  On Caspian gas, we ought to work together, and 
everyone should have a chance to compete.  MFA, Tuygan noted, 
had just appointed Ambassador Mithat Balkan as its energy 
coordinator.  Fried agreed on the need for competition - a 
Gazprom monopoly means a lack of investment.  Without Gazprom 
reform, fueled by competition, there will be insufficient 
investment in the Siberians fields. 
 
--------------- 
EMBASSY COMMENT 
--------------- 
 
8.  (C) It seems reasonable for BTC not to accept BOTAS, 
position that all the delays and over-runs are due to "scope 
changes" by BTC and therefore not attributable to BOTAS, 
mismanagement of the fixed price contract and choice of 
inexperienced sub-contractors.  However, the Consortium to 
date has loaned money to BOTAS to expedite completion.  There 
is a danger that Turkey could play this face-off in a 
ham-handed way and continue to force a game of chicken that 
could lead to arbitration.  But, BTC is a western company 
coalition (which also includes state oil company TPAO).  The 
consequences of lost transit fees ($10 million per month) and 
arbitration could be grave from a financial and investment 
perspective. 
 
9.  (C) BTC's problems with BOTAS come in the context of 
various reports that BOTAS' financial and management capacity 
is under more and more strain.  The company has no clear 
leadership or support from senior government officials, and 
has limped along since June 2005 under a series of 
ineffectual acting directors.  The company is under threat 
from a variety of allegations and investigations into 
corruption and mismanagement in tendering and project 
implementation.   The threat of investigation, subsequent 
public disgrace, and years spent battling court cases -- even 
if innocent -- is doing increasing damage in the Turkish 
energy sector.  Turkey has ambitious plans to act as a 
regional energy hub, plans which the U.S. should continue to 
support vigorously, but the investigative threat and constant 
bureaucratic hurdles act as a real handicap to the attainment 
of that vision.  The handling of the BTC dispute is the 
immediate case in point.  The longer BTC, the flagship 
Caspian energy project is delayed, the further both the U.S. 
and Turkey will be from advancing our joint energy goals. 
 
10.  (U) Amb Mann has cleared this cable. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON