Crude oil pipeline of 1,768 km running through Azerbaijan, Georgia and to the southern Turkish marine terminal of Ceyhan. The pipeline transfers (2008) a million barrels of oil a day. The east-west energy corridor that passes over Azerbaijan and Georgia reaching Turkey was constructed with strong US support and eroded Russia’s control over the extensive energy resources of the Caspian Sea as the first major oil pipeline to bypass Russia. The pipeline also freed Azerbaijan and Georgia from being dependent on Russia for their natural gas resources. The pipeline was put into service in 2006. It was forced to close for a while due to a fire in the Turkish section and faces increasing problems since the conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008.