BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 12. All possible alternative oil transportation routes are currently being studied, Kazakhstan’s KazMunaiGas (KMG) company told Trend commenting on the possibility of transporting oil from Kazakhstan through Azerbaijan.
“Currently, aside from the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system, KMG has alternative routes such as Atyrau-Samara, as well as the one running towards China through the Kazakhstan-China pipeline and the route through the port of Aktau (Makhachkala/Baku). At the same time, the company is working on diversification of its oil transportation routes. All possible alternative oil transportation routes are currently being studied,” the company said.
Reuters reported citing its sources that Kazakhstan is expected to sell some of its crude oil through Azerbaijan's biggest oil pipeline from September.
A source with direct knowledge of the matter said Kazakhstan's state oil firm Kazmunaigaz (KMG) was in advanced discussions with the trading arm of Azerbaijan's state firm SOCAR to allow 1.5 million tonnes per year of Kazakh crude to be sold through the Azerbaijani pipeline that delivers oil to Türkiye’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.
The final contract is due to be signed at the end of August with flows through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline starting up a month later, the source said. Another 3.5 million tonnes per year of Kazakh crude could start flowing in 2023 through another Azerbaijani pipeline to Georgia's Black Sea port of Supsa, two sources said.
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