BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 25. Only planned excess volumes of oil can be shipped via Azerbaijan, Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Bolat Akchulakov said on Facebook during an online briefing, Trend reports via Kazinform.
According to Akchulakov, in the next two years, it’s planned to increase oil production by expanding large fields, searching for and commissioning new small fields in Kazakhstan.
In general, growth is predicted from the current volume (this year's plan is 85.7 million tons) to 103 million tons, and maybe up to 107 million tons, he noted.
These volumes are higher than those currently being shipped, and that’s why it’s necessary to think about how these excess volumes can be shipped in a stable and uninterrupted manner, the minister also said.
"Therefore, alternative routes are being considered. This is the route towards China via the existing oil pipeline, where there are still reserves. There are also alternative supply routes through the Caspian Sea, where Azerbaijan and Iran can be partners,” Akchulakov pointed out.
“Of course, this is the supply of our oil through the Caspian Sea. It has been repeatedly said that our partners in these alternative shipments through the Caspian Sea may be Azerbaijan and Iran,” he reminded. “Due to different reasons, there are different routes. In the case of Iran, there is the issue of ongoing sanctions against this country. Therefore, these questions are indicative, but, nevertheless, we consider them.”
“However, the issue of shipping some volume of oil through the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan is a technical issue, and the question is not about some huge volumes, but about some of the excess volumes that we may have," the minister added.
Besides, he stressed that stable, uninterrupted work of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) remains a priority for Kazakhstan.
Consideration of parallel routes will be carried out in connection with the growth of oil production. CPC is currently the most economically viable route for shipping Kazakh oil, Akchulakov said.
Accordingly, the main task is to maintain the uninterrupted operation of this route in order to have a stable sales/export channel for Kazakh oil, which is very important and significant for economic growth, concluded the minister.