Posted on 11/19/2005 9:06:32 AM PST by Alex Marko
Moscow plans main hubs in Turkey and Israel for Russian and Azerbaijani oil and gas exports to southern Europe and China
November 18, 2005, 1:55 PM (GMT+02:00)
Russian president Vladimir Putin discussed the plan with Turkish prime minister Tayyep Erdogan and Silvio Berlusconi of Italy at the inauguration Thursday of the Blue Stream pipeline network laid on the Black Sea bed by the Russian Gazprom and Italian Eni oil giants.
Putin spoke of extending this pipe network to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. A new underwater branch would then be built to connect Ceyhan with Israels Ashkelon oil port, from which an existing pipe wouldl carry the oil from the Mediterranean to Eilat. Facilities at this Red Sea port would need to be expanded to accommodate Russian oil and gas tankers bound for China through the Indian Ocean. As a main regional transit hub for Russian oil exports, Israel can look forward to stronger trade ties with Russia and Turkey, thousands of new jobs and royalty revenues running into hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
Our sources add that Israels infrastructure minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer on a recent visit to Cairo proposed to President Hosni Mubarak that Egypt link an underwater pipe planned to carry natural gas to the Gaza Strip with the Israeli transit station at Ashkelon. Egypt would thus hook up to the projected Russian-Turkish-Israel pipeline scheme.
Ping for middle eastern list
Debka = Zero Credibility
I wouldnt say that, they correctly reported Russian advisors in Gaza more than a month before the Israeli govt acknowledged it. Sure sometimes they are over-zealous in assessments, but the do hit it big from time to time.
here are follow up articles....
ISN SECURITY WATCH (18/11/05) Russia and Turkey have inaugurated a new trans-Black Sea natural gas pipeline, a ambitious and expensive project that has forged a direct gas link between the two countries and turned Turkey into a global energy conduit.
RIA Novosti, Russia - Nov 17, 2005
... various aspects of cooperation in the oil and gas ... the possible transit of gas via Turkey to southern ... Bulgaria, Austria, and Yugoslavia, as well as to Israel. ...
Blue Stream launched (18/11/2005) Energy.gr
Blue Stream project to be expanded Hürriyet
This is good news. I'm glad to see Russia develop a business relationship with Irael. I will say that what Russia turns on, it can turn off, so I'd keep that in mind.
Why would Russia plan an oil hub in Israel while simultaneously enabling Iran to nuke the same?
Russia has been using Israel's pipeline to go around the Suez Canal for well over 2 years now.
Russia has shipped oil by Israel's southern pipeline for 2 years now.
Thank you. If I was ever aware of this, I'd forgotten. I appreciate the note.
The same Reason that China sells products to us and arms against us...
And it goes to Israel's and Russia's friend China.
Ehhh? Geography lesson, which is a shorter route to deliver oil by: Siberian rail and pipelines to China, or around the Middle East and the Indian Ocean? That oil is going to India and other nations in the area.
Read the story!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.