In addition to performing functions related to export pipeline operatorship and oil transit, SOCAR Midstream Operations (SMO) implements various projects aimed at improving Azerbaijan’s oil transportation infrastructure.
In 2022, SMO implemented major projects to upgrade the network of gathering pipelines within and around the Sangachal Terminal to enable the delivery of Kazakh oil into the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. These projects increased utilisation of BTC’s transportation capacity. SMO completed the construction of a 280-metre-long, 16-inch crossover pipeline connecting two oil pipelines within the Sangachal Terminal: a 13-kilometre, 16-inch pipeline and a 12.4-kilometre, 30-inch pipeline. At the same time, the 12.4-kilometre, 30-inch Sangachal–Azertrans pipeline was upgraded and commissioned.
In 2025, SMO constructed a 14-inch crossover pipeline at the Sangachal Terminal, connecting the 16-inch pipeline to the Western Route Export Pipeline (WREP, Baku–Supsa).
In addition, SMO is implementing modernisation projects at several facilities owned by SOCAR’s Oil Pipelines Department (OPD), including the Dubandi Terminal and the Northern Route Export Pipeline (NREP, Baku–Novorossiysk). As part of these efforts, sectional pipeline replacement work and the installation of a new pig-launching system on NREP were successfully completed in 2025. Pipes were partially replaced along the 2.2-kilometre section beginning at the Sangachal Terminal, and smart-pigging technology was introduced. The new system enables pipeline cleaning, internal corrosion inspection, improved flow efficiency and the timely detection of potential damage.
