The Messenger
28 Barnov Street, Tbilisi, Georgia
By Messenger Staff
Wednesday, March 11
No oil refinery in Armenia
Armenian minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsesian has
stated that in 2009 Armenia and Iran will start constructing the
Tavriz (Iran) to Ersakh (Armenia) pipeline which will pump oil
products produced by the Tavriz oil refinery. Movsesian said the
project will satisfy Armenian demand for benzene and diesel fuel.
Armenia consumes up to 500 thousand tonnes of fuel annually. According
to official estimates constructing the pipeline will cost around USD
240 million.
Russia and Armenia had earlier planned to build an oil refinery in
Armenia. In 2007 the then Presidents Kocharian and Putin announced
this, and Armenia even produced a feasibility study for building a
refinery at Megri which would process 7.5 million tonnes of crude oil
received from Iran. This quantity would satisfy Armenian needs and the
residue could be re-exported back to Iran. However after further
recalculation the Russian side has frustrated this project as it does
not consider it economically viable for Russia.