The Minister of Energy, Almasadam Satkaliyev, discussed the possible sale of two Russian oil refineries in the Mazhilis on March 27 and the development of alternative transportation routes for Kazakh oil.
During the session, Deputy Mukash Iskandirov inquired about the threat to transporting Kazakh oil via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) and the alleged sale of two Russian refineries. He questioned whether all this would ultimately lead to Kazakhstan's complete dependence on Russia for both processing and transporting Kazakh oil.
In response, Minister Satkaliyev stated that he would not comment on rumors regarding the acquisition of refineries. He emphasized the significance of the CPC as the main export route for delivering Kazakh oil to international markets. He also highlighted the significant efforts being made towards diversification, such as the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Additionally, agreements have been made with Azerbaijani counterparts for access to the "Baku-Supsa" and "Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan" pipelines.
The Minister assured that measures are being taken to ensure the quality bank of oil and that Kazakhstan already has the capability to transport around 2 million tons of oil via the "Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan" pipeline. He also mentioned ongoing considerations for alternative routes, including the potential use of pipelines to China as a backup option.
On March 26, addressing reports of the alleged sale of the Atyrau Oil Refinery to Lukoil and the Pavlodar Oil Refinery to Gazprom, Almasadam Satkaliyev stated that no one from the Ministry of Energy had approached them for approval of such deals with specific buyers.
