The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) combines the cooperative efforts of the governments of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Sultanate of Oman and a group of international oil companies including Chevron, Mobil and Lukarko. It represents one of Russia's largest-ever industrial development ventures, spanning over 1,600 km from the rich Tengiz oil fields in Western Kazakhstan, to those along the Caspian Sea and on to the Black Sea coast in Russia, with an eventual capacity of 1.34 million barrels per day. The pipeline runs from Tengiz (Kazakhstan) to Novorossyisk (Russia) with 5 pump stations and over 100 mainline block valves. The primary mission for pipeline design and control was to provide the basis for an efficient, safe and environmentally sound operation. Environmental protection being a key concern for this project, construction would adhere to the most stringent standards of the European Union, the World Bank and other international organizations. To meet these standards, the simulation model that would eventually be used to control and operate the pipeline was also used in the design phase for engineering analysis and optimization. The system needed to include comprehensive SCADA with fully integrated pipeline simulation, leak detection and the ability to perform predictive and look-ahead modeling of the pipeline. Applications also include Threshold Setting, Maximum Throughput Calculations Pipeline Inventory Management, Scraper Tracking, Accounting, Quality Bank, Off-line Planning and Forecasting and Operator Training and Certification. Industrial-quality reliability and redundancy was required for all critical communications, leak detection, control locations and servers.
On July 11, 2002, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) reached the target of six million tons of crude oil delivered to world markets through its pipeline system from the Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan to the Marine Terminal near Novorossiisk. The six millionth ton of crude oil was loaded on the 11th onto the tanker "Katja" - the 60th tanker since loading of the first tanker, the "Minerva Alexandra", started the comprehensive testing phase of CPC-Russia's Marine Terminal on October 13, 2001. The "Katja" was being loaded simultaneously with another tanker at total loading velocity 20,500 tons per hours, indicating that the Marine Terminal had reached its full project capacity. ChevronTexaco chartered both tankers - the shipper is Tengizchevroil. In other developments, in late June CPC-Russia obtained its operating license from the Russian Federation Ministry of Transportation to conduct all loading-unloading activities at CPC's Marine Terminal. The license, renewable every five years, was granted without any limitations. Earlier, on June 14, 2002, the State Acceptance Commission signed the Act of Acceptance of the CPC Marine Terminal, which verified that all requirements for construction, safety and environmental protection had been met successfully.
