And, if the Ceyhan route cannot be justified, the obvious alternative is to build an extra line to Supsa in Georgia.

ECONOMIST: Oil out of troubled waters | The

In the past, many observers thought a pipeline between Baku and Supsa in Georgia could provide the optimal route for exports from offshore Azerbaijan.

ECONOMIST: No apology necessary

Competition will be tough: tariffs on the new pipeline are ten times lower than for the line through Chechnya, and the crude oil received at Supsa, known as Azeri Light, is of higher quality than Russia's Urals Blend that flows via Novorossiisk.

ECONOMIST: The Caucasus: By-passing Russia | The