Oil exports from Azerbaijan have been further disrupted by the closure of the main railway line that links Baku to the Georgian Black Sea ports of Poti, Batumi and Kulevi.

The railway was closed after a bridge in the Kaspi region west of Batumi was blown up, apparently by Russian forces. It is not clear how long it will take to repair the bridge, but regional sources say it could be at least two weeks. In the meantime, the Georgians are trying to reactivate an alternative single-track route to get oil moving again.

The closure of the railways could not have come at a worse time for BP and its partners developing the Azerbaijan's offshore Azeri, Chirag and Guneshli (ACG) fields, where production has been reduced by more than two-thirds after an explosion in Turkey shut down the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline in early August. With the Baku-Supsa pipeline also closed, BP has few other export options.

According to industry sources in Baku, the Azeri state oil company Socar, which sells most of the profit oil from ACG, plans to move 300,000 tons of Azeri Light crude by ship to Iran's Caspian port of Neka by the end of September. On top of this, Socar has tendered 50,000 tons of gas oil and 10,000 tons of jet kerosene to be lifted FOB from Baku.

The next issue of Caspian Focus will analyse the Georgia crisis and its implications for Caspian geopolitics and its oil and gas industry.

Contact info@menas.co.uk for further details

NIGER WAR
> Niger's Saharan War becomes more threatening: Kidnapping Areva employees
> What can MNJ do? Similar tactics; Other rebel groups
> Releasing the hostages: FAN reversing defeat? A different truth; What of Acheriff Mohamed?
> Algerian assistance to MNJ

MOTIVES & RESULTS
> Niger government threats
> Médecins sans Frontières
> Sentencing Moussa Kaka
> Death sentence for Rhissa ag Boula: Why false evidence?
> Is Libya arming the FFR?
> Chemical WMD
> Algerian Red Crescent called in
> Food prices, electricity shortages

ENERGY ISSUES
> CNPC Niger investment: What's in it for Niger? Running into opposition; Employment and operating practices; Resentment made manifest
> MNJ: Share the wealth; Upsurge in MNJ-FAN fighting?
> Ground Zero

MALI AND ALGERIA
> The Mali rebellion: New round of peace talks; What was decided; Optimism misplaced
> Joint security patrols: The role of drug trafficking
> Al-Qa'ida on Saharan borders: Mobile training camps? Algeria to the rescue; A few small provisos
> Targeting Al-Qa'ida terrorists
> Cheetah found near Tamanrasset

MAURITANIA
> RWE in new oil deal
> New political uncertainty: Deteriorating security?
> Troops stage coup: Why did it happen? Will it work? World opinion

To subscribe, or for further information about Sahara Focus, please contact info@menas.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT
> Fighting inflation: Interest rate chases price rises; How the government spends; High interest rates; Debt and deficit

POLITICS AND SOCIETY
> Municipal elections
> Bribery and cover-up
> MST in the limelight
> Political briefs: Lula's frequent absences; Alternatives to the old left

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
> Exploring the pre-salt layer
> Eighth Round postponed: What about the pre-salt reserves? Intensifying exploration
> ANP taking back blocks
> Deep pockets for Petrobras
> Protecting offshore drilling
> Peruvian gas alternative to Bolivian?
> Bio-fuel briefs: Ethanol for Sudan; Ethanol for the US
> Electric power: Angra 3 can start; Public-private nuclear partnerships? Suex vs Odebrecht; Brazil-Uruguay coal cooperation; Hydro-electric plants
> Environmental news: Licensing expedited; Sustainable procurement
> Petrobras news: Domestic: New oil discoveries; Bio-diesel refinery; FPSO moving to pre-salt layer; Gabrielli speaks; Anti-trust approval; New petchem company; New refineries; Striking workers; Pilot production in Tupi; Huge offshore drilling platform; Oil-bearing landblocks
International: Arbitration initiated

ECONOMY & BUSINESS
> Mining concessions revoked
> Agribusiness saves trade surplus
> Investing in infrastructure
> Economy in brief: Tariff exemptions; Rio Tinto ion a roll; Fast forward Ferrous; Agribusiness; Government expenditures; Buying Brazilian debt; Vale share offer poor; Controlling inflation; InBev buys Anheuser-Busch; Vale trades on Euronext; Expensive currency; Making the grade; Current accounting; GM Investing in Brazil; Suzano increasing production; Bovespa loses ground

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
> Lula's South American tour: In Bolivia; In Colombia
> Advocating military integration
> Lula in Portugal
> Blocking US-Mercosul agreement
> A requiem for Doha: What are the consequences?

CONFERENCES: Upcoming events

To subscribe, or for further information about Brazil Focus, please contact info@menas.co.uk

POLICY FOCUS
> Controversy continues at Arzew LNG as frontrunners lose out: Possibility of wrangles

POLITICS AND SECURITY
> Old solutions look weak in response to youth riots: Football gets the blame; Boutef satisfies army with 22 new
generals
> The new generals
> Security climate not improving in Kabylie
> Controversial Berber trial postponed
> Local government modernisation drive

GEOPOLITICS
> Merkel comes back from Algiers empty-handed, for now
> Bouteflika backs Mediterranean Union Summit
> Geopolitics in brief: Sahrawi children in Tipaza for summer break; Moratinos on Algiers visit

ENERGY INDUSTRY
> Seventh licensing round under way in new guise: A history of back-tracking; What companies must bring to the table; Ahnet zone – an exploration history
> Seventh licensing round timetable
> The 16 zones
> Galsi route problems spell delay, Medgaz slips to end 2009
> Sonatrach reins in oil Production
> Iberdrola to fund Petroceltic's Algerian Exploration
> Energy in brief: Gas suppy deal for Atlantic Partners; Gas processing plant contract awarded to JGC; Sonatrach staff stage protest over salary rises; OPEC meeting scheduled in Oran for 17 December; Algeria and Morocco improve electricity connection; Cepsa signs contract extension with Sonatrach

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
> Proposals flood in for ports overhaul
> Desalination ambitions grow as Hyflux bags major deal
> Foreign reserves climb, as does inflation
> Business in brief: Spanish group to help authorities battle tax evasion; New Constantine-Annaba rail link operational; Tassili Airlines launches tender for new fleet

To subscribe, or for further information about Algeria Focus, please contact info@menas.co.uk

OIL AND GAS
> Shell offers power as Asian projects fall apart
> New refineries to be built
> House begins probe of oil block awards
> Senate favours Oando in dispute with Agip
> Addax gets extra 7.2% in JDZ
> Tank farms closed to ease congestion

NIGER DELTA
> Violence threatens Bakassi handover
> Gunmen seize eight in three attacks
> MEND hits more pipelines
> Filipinos arrested with stolen crude

ECONOMY AND BUSINESS
> Yar'Adua submits amended budget to National Assembly
> New tax regime in the offing
> Banks compete for savings ahead of directive
> Inflation back to double figures
> China to invest in hydropower
> NSE lifts ban on Cadbury
> AFC sacks president as panel submits report

POLITICS AND SOCIETY
> Editorial: Yar'Adua defines seven-point agenda
> Cracks in 'government of national unity'
> Senate president survives in controversial ruling
> Court unseats Imoke as Cross River governor
> Strike brings schools to a halt

Regional Focus
> 7,000km pipeline to China coast gathers momentum
> Medvedev continues Caspian tour
> Mol gives Nabucco project a push…but may lose out on CPC stake

Kazakhstan:
> First family decides fate of MMG; Dariga gains control of Nurbank
> KMG to develop offshore structure
> Rompetrol acquisition boosts downstream performance
> Foreign producers set to stump up for export tax
> Government rejects blame for Kashagan delays
> Kazakhmys in merger talks with Russians
> Max takes control of A and E blocks
> Transport problem forces Zhaikmunai to cut production

Turkmenistan:
> Prikaspisykiy pipeline set for construction to start

Azerbaijan:
> Jump in ACG output gives a Socar a boost
> Pinkerton charges dropped

Iran:
> Neka traffic hit by sanctions and premium slide
> End of an era at NIOC?

Russia:
> Lindin reports major find in Lagansky block

Ubekistan:
> Zeromax finds gas at Nishan

BTC loadings, Ceyhan, August 2008
Oil shipments to Neka, January-June 2008