AMBO Pipeline

== AMBO pipeline is a planned oil pipeline from the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Burgas via the Republic of Macedonia to the Albanian Adriatic port of Vlorë. Work is ongoing in 2020, Q3, to progress the initial development activities. The project is most certainly not cancelled. ==

History
The pipeline was proposed already in 1993. On 27 December 2004, prime-ministers of Albania, the Republic of (now North) Macedonia and Bulgaria signed the latest political declaration, followed by the memorandum of understanding between representatives of Albania, the Republic of (now North) Macedonia and Bulgaria and Ted Ferguson, the president and CEO of AMBO. On 30 October 2006, Albania and the Republic of (now North) Macedonia signed a protocol to determinate the entrance points of the pipeline. The entrance point will be Stebleve village in Albania and Lakaica village in the Republic of Macedonia. A similar protocol between Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia was signed later in 2006.

On 31 January 2007, the Republics of (now North) Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania signed a trilateral convention on the construction of the Balkan pipeline AMBO. This document has been ratified by the Parliaments of all three countries and governs the construction, operation, and maintenance of the pipelines.

Description
The aim of the

912 km long pipeline is to bypass the Turkish Straits in transportation of oil currently being exported from the Black Sea ports. The pipeline is expected to cost about US$1.5 billion and it will have a capacity of 750,000 bpd. There will be four pump stations, three in Bulgaria and one in North Macedonia. A concept and design study was prepared by KBR in 2000.

Environmental studies to be conducted.

Project company
The pipeline is planned to be built and operated by the US-registered Albanian Macedonian Bulgarian Oil Corporation (AMBO). The US government financed a feasibility study of pipeline.