Sergey Kondratiev, Principal Director on Economic Studies at the Institute for Energy and Finance, commented to the Kommersant newspaper on the prospects for increasing the transit of Russian oil through Kazakhstan.
In December 2022, Kaztransoil commissioned oil pumping stations NPS-8 and NPS-10 on the Atasu-Alashankou oil pipeline, which increased its annual capacity from 12 million to 20 million tons per year, Sergey Kondratiev notes.
In 2021, oil pipeline transportation amounted to 10.9 million tons, in 2022 - 10.3 million tons; the main load is provided by Rosneft, which pumped 9 million tons in 2022 (10 million tons in 2021). Additional loading of the Atasu-Alashankou oil pipeline was discussed by the authorities of Kazakhstan in 2022 as part of a strategy to diversify oil supplies, the expert recalls. In his opinion, there is a possibility of increasing transit over the contracted 10 million tons, but he doubts that Kaztransoil will conclude a long-term agreement: rather, the company will put up free capacities for auction, which will allow maintaining flexibility and, if necessary, redirecting part of Kazakhstani export flows to the East.
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