Located on the Black Sea Coast of Georgia, in Lanchkhuti district Supsa terminal provides storage capacity for crude oil transported via the Western Route Export Pipeline (WREP, Baku-Supsa) before loading to oil tankers via offshore loading facilities. The crude is further shipped via tankers through the Bosphorus Straits to global markets. The terminal is a vital link in Georgia economy.
The station inlet consists of a pressure control valve, to maintain a suitable pressure in order to prevent any vapour break out in the WREP and in addition to protect the Terminal pipe work.
The crude oil is fiscally metered, into the Crude Oil Storage Tanks, each of approximately 40 thousand tonnes capacity. Also sited at Supsa is the central Control Room to control both crude receipt and export facilities.
The export loading system consists of three diesel driven loading pumps. They draw crude oil from the storage tanks and discharge to a fiscal export metering system.
The 5.6 km, 36 inch pipeline continues from the Terminal to offshore and ends at the subset PLEM (Pipe Line End Manifold).
Two 16-inch flexible hoses connect the PLEM to the CALM buoy (Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring), and 20 inch floating hoses used, to transfer crude oil to the tankers.
The operator of the WREP and the Supsa Terminal is “SOCAR Midstream Operations” LLC.
Supsa Terminal has been in operation since January 1999 and the first tanker was loaded in April 1999.
