Kazakhstan Diversifies Oil Export Routes Amid Global Energy Shifts

Strategic Insights -

Kazakhstan, seeking to reduce its reliance on a single export route, is exploring alternative pipelines and partnerships to supply oil to European markets. The country has produced 87.7 million tons of crude oil in 2024, with 68.6 million tons exported, primarily through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline. Kazakhstan aims to lift oil exports to 70.5 million tons this year, with Italy, the Netherlands, France, Romania, Greece, and China among its top buyers. The government has set up a joint working group with major energy companies to assess long-term infrastructure upgrades and boost capacity.

Key Takeaways:

  • Kazakhstan produced 87.7 million tons of crude oil in 2024, with 68.6 million tons exported.
  • The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline carried 54.9 million tons or 80% of export volumes.
  • Kazakhstan aims to lift oil exports to 70.5 million tons this year, with Italy, the Netherlands, France, Romania, Greece, and China among its top buyers.
  • The expansion of the Trans-Caspian route could raise shipments to as much as 20 million tons annually via the BTC pipeline.
  • Kazakhstan is also evaluating the feasibility of shipping oil through the Baku-Supsa pipeline corridor, which runs from Azerbaijan to Georgia and provides direct access to the Black Sea.
  • The government has set up a joint working group with major energy companies to assess long-term infrastructure upgrades and boost capacity.
  • Kazakhstan has begun supplying oil through the Druzhba system into Central Europe, with deliveries to the Rosneft Deutschland company at the Schwedt refinery in Germany underway.
  • Hungary has also become a recipient of Kazakh oil through an alternative route involving seaborne transport to Croatia.

Statistics:

  • 87.7 million tons of crude oil produced in 2024 (Energy Ministry)
  • 68.6 million tons of crude oil exported in 2024 (Energy Ministry)
  • 54.9 million tons carried by the CPC pipeline (Energy Ministry)
  • 80% of export volumes carried by the CPC pipeline (Energy Ministry)
  • 70.5 million tons target for oil exports this year (Energy Ministry)
  • 1.5 million tons of crude oil to be shipped annually through the Trans-Caspian route (SOFCAR)
  • 1.7 million tons target for oil shipments through the BTC pipeline in 2025 (Energy Ministry)
  • 489,000 tons of oil shipped through the BTC pipeline between January and April 2025 (Energy Ministry)
  • 1.5 million tons of Kazakh oil delivered to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline in 2024 (Rosneft Deutschland)
  • 1.1 million tons of Kazakh crude oil imported by Germany between January and July (Rosneft Deutschland)

Sources:

  • The Astana Times
  • Energy Ministry of Kazakhstan
  • SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan)
  • Rosneft Deutschland
  • Jadranski naftovod (JANAF)
  • KazMunayGas
  • KazMunayGas Kashagan B.V.
  • Global Data Point
  • SyndiGate Media Inc.