US embassy cable - 03ANKARA2552

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002552 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR E, EB?CBED, EB/ESC, EUR/SE, NEA/NGA, INR 
NSC FOR QUANRUD AND BRYZA 
USDOC FOR 4212/ITA/MAC/OEURA/CPD/DDEFALCO 
USDOE FOR PUMPHREY/ROSSI 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2013 
TAGS: ENRG, EPET, TU, IZ, UNSC 
SUBJECT: KIRKUK-YUMARTALIK PIPELINE:  CLARIFICATION ON 
AMOUNTS STORED 
 
REF: A. (A) ANKARA 2445 
     B. (B) ANKARA 1952 
 
 
(U) Classified by EconCounselor Scot Marciel.  Reason: 
1.5(b,d). 
 
 
1.  (C) Reftel reported that BOTAS executives had informed 
Embassy that the storage tanks at Ceyhan were full with about 
6.5 million barrels of oil from the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik 
(Ceyhan) pipeline.  Based on questions from Washington, 
Embassy double-checked the figures today.  BOTAS Deputy 
General Manager Fuat Celepci onfirmed that the tanks were 
full, and said the amount involved was just under 1.5 million 
cubic meters.  He was not sure of the formula to convert 
cubic meters (which BOTAS uses) into barrels, but estimated 
it at 6.3 barrels per cubic meter, which would produce a 
figure of 9.3 million barrels of oil in storage rather than 
the 6.5 million we were originally told. 
 
 
2.  (C) Celebci also confirmed that UN officials were still 
present in Ceyhan. 
 
 
3.  (C) Comment:  BOTAS executives have consistently said all 
12 of the storage tanks in Ceyhan were full.  We believe that 
the original figure they gave us was based on an improper 
conversion of cubic meters into barrels, and was not an 
attempt to mislead. 
PEARSON