Due to disruptions in the operations of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, Kazakhstan is considering alternative supply routes, in particular via Azerbaijan, reports ‘Interfax-Kazakhstan’, citing the Kazakh Ministry of Energy.
The ministry is considering transporting oil via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, as well as via the Baku–Supsa route. The former terminates in Turkey, whilst the latter ends on the Black Sea coast of Georgia.
In July, the Kazakh authorities reallocated export flows; in particular, oil shipments via the Atyrau–Samara route and to China increased.
KTK has repeatedly halted oil loading at its terminals near Novorossiysk due to attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. On 30 July, the consortium reported an attack on two tankers, the Nissos Sifnos and the Marathi, following which oil loading was suspended. At the time of the attack, the Nissos Sifnos was being loaded with oil at a CPC offshore jetty, whilst the Marathi was moored near the CPC’s marine terminal.
Bloomberg, citing an unnamed US official, reported that during talks with the US on 31 July, Ukraine agreed not to strike certain non-Russian oil tankers and maritime infrastructure, which is crucial for the export of Kazakhstani oil.
According to the official, Ukraine has set up contact points enabling commercial shippers to exchange information and ensure safe passage.
More than 80 per cent of all oil shipments from Kazakhstan abroad pass through the CPC. The consortium is co-owned by Russia, Kazakhstan, the US company Chevron and several other firms, including subsidiaries of the Russian companies Lukoil and Rosneft.