About us - BOTAS AS

BOTAŞ Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (“BOTAS”) is the main Turkish transportation company active in the transportation of crude oil and natural gas by pipelines as well as in trade activities.

BOTAŞ, originally established to construct and operate the Iraq – Turkey Crude Oil Pipeline in 1974, has increased its crude oil transportation capacity through pipelines from 35 Million Tons to 80.2 Million Tons in the past 30 years, and has grown its natural gas transportation and trade carried out since 1987 by 35 times in 15 years and increased to 17.4 Billion m³. Taking into consideration Turkey’s increasing need for diversified energy sources, BOTAŞ’ original mission of transporting crude oil through pipelines has expanded since 1987 to cover the natural gas transportation and trade activities.

BOTAŞ’ monopoly rights on natural gas import, distribution, sales and pricing that were granted by Decree No.397 dated February 9, 1990, were abolished by the Natural Gas Market Law  No. 4646 which was enacted on May 2, 2001. The new Law covers the import, transmission, distribution, storage, marketing, trade and export of natural gas and the rights and obligations of all real and legal persons related to these activities.

Since its foundation, BOTAŞ has gradually raised on various dates its initial capital of TL 200 Million. The latest increase, from TL 750 Trillion to TL 1.300 Trillion entered into effect with the Decision of the High Planning Council No.  2002/T- 24, dated 9 August 2002.

Crude Oil transportation Activities and Related Facilities:

Since its foundation in 1974, BOTAŞ has instigated the construction and commissioning of various crude oil pipelines through which it carries out its crude oil transportation activities. BOTAŞ’ existing crude oil pipelines are as follows:

• Iraq-Turkey Crude Oil Pipeline,
• Ceyhan-Kırıkkale Crude Oil Pipeline,
• Batman-Dörtyol Crude Oil Pipeline,
• Şelmo-Batman Crude Oil Pipeline.

The total length of crude oil pipelines is 2300 km.

Natural Gas Transportation, Related Facilities and Trade:

The original mission of BOTAŞ, which had been transportation of crude oil through pipelines, expanded in 1987 to cover the natural gas transportation and trade activities, by taking into consideration increasing energy demand and according to results of studies on diversification of energy sources of Turkey.

BOTAŞ’ existing natural gas pipelines and related facilities are as follows:

• Russian Federation-Turkey Natural Gas Main Transmission Line ,
• İzmit-Karadeniz Ereğli Natural Gas Transmission Line,
• Bursa-Çan Natural Gas Transmission Line,
• Çan-Çanakkale Natural Gas Transmission Line,
• Eastern Anatolia Natural Gas Main Transmission Line,
• Samsun-Ankara Natural Gas Transmission Line.
• Karacabey-İzmir Natural Gas Transmission Line.
• Distribution Lines,
• Marmara Ereğlisi Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Import Terminal.

The total length of natural gas pipelines is 4500 km.

International Projects:

With Turkey being located at the crossroad between the Caspian and Middle East Countries, which are in possession of rich oil and gas reserves, and the Western Countries, which are in need of such resources, BOTAŞ has been called to participate in the implementation of various international projects. These projects are set out below:

• Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline Project;
• TransCaspian Turkmenistan-Turkey-Europe Natural Gas Pipeline Project;
• Azerbaijan Natural Gas Pipeline Project;
• Egypt-Turkey Natural Gas Pipeline Project;
• Iraq-Turkey Natural Gas Pipeline Project;
• Turkey -Greece- Natural Gas Pipeline Project (South European Gas Ring);
• Natural Gas Transportation Projects to Europe;
  
  • Turkey-Greece-Italy Natural Gas Pipeline Study; 
  • Turkey-Austria Natural Gas Pipeline Study (Nabucco)