Kazakhstan, Astana, Oct. 2 / Trend D. Mukhtarov /
Kazakhstan does not exclude oil exports via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Kazakh Oil and Gas Minister Sauat Mynbayev said at the Kazenergy forum in Astana today.
"Perhaps Kazakh oil will be supplied via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, but on reasonable commercial terms," Mynbayev said.
The total length of BТС is 1,768 kilometres including the 443 kilometre section running via Azerbaijan, the 249 kilometre section via Georgia and the 1.076 kilometre via Turkey.
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The minister said that at present, Kazakhstan is considering different variants of transporting its oil for exports.
"While determining the areas of export and use of pipeline systems, Kazakhstan will adhere to the following principles. The oil will be supplied to the areas with commercially favourable terms," Mynbayev said.
The minister said that the main export destinations of Kazakh oil are the EU and China. So, Kazakhstan plans to export 29 million tons of its oil via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in 2012. The volumes of pumping Kazakh oil via the pipeline must increase to 52 million tons after expansion.
Kazakhstan plans to export 11 million tons of oil via the Kazakhstan-China pipeline to China in 2012 with an opportunity of its expanding to 20 million tons in the future.
"The relevant agreements on the expansion have been signed," he said. "It will be easy to technologically implement them."
Around 15 million tons of Kazakh oil in 2012 will be supplied via the Atyrau-Samara pipeline.
"We do not plan to expand the pipeline," Mynbayev said.
Moreover, Kazakhstan plans to transport 8 million tons of oil through the port of Aktau in 2012. Some oil will be supplied through Makhachkala, other part - through the Black Sea ports of Batumi and Kulevi.