Kazakhstan, Astana, Sept. 1 / Trend D.Mukhtarov /
By 2020, Kazakhstan plans to increase the aggregate throughput of export oil pipeline systems up to 100 million tons a year, the chairman of the Board KazMunaiGas, Lazzat Kiinov, said.
"The aggregate throughput of export oil pipeline systems of Kazakhstan now stands at 66 million tons per year, and by 2020 it is planned to increase to 100 million tons a year," Kiinov said in an interview with Kazakh Liter newspaper.
He said that for this capacity of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium through which 276.2 million tons of oil, including Kazakh oil - 232.7 million tons, have been transported since start of its operation in 2001. In 2011, transportation totaled 31.8 million tons, including Kazakh oil - 28.2 million tons.
"And after the completion of the expansion project in 2015 the annual capacity of the system will be increased to 67 million tons, including the Kazakh section - up to 52.5 million tons per year," he said.
He said increase in the capacity of the Tengiz - Novorossiysk oil pipeline is one of the most pressing issues amid rising oil production at Tengiz and Karachaganak fields and the planned commissioning of the Kashagan field.
"At present, the Kazakh side jointly with the Chinese side within the existing bilateral agreements is negotiating to expand the Kazakhstan - China oil pipeline to 20 million tons per year, including the availability of a guaranteed resource base, tariff and the price of oil on the border with China," Kiinov said.
He said that last year as part of the second stage of the second phase of the project the construction of oil-transfer station-11 in the Atasu-Alashankou section, which increased the capacity of the pipe up to 12 million tons a year. In 2011, the pipeline transported 10.9 million tons of oil.
He recalled that Kazakhstan has a principled position: the more lines, the better for the country.
In the 1990s, the republic could send its oil through the existing pipeline system Uzen - Samara by sea port Aktau using morally and technically outdated power and rail.