Kazakhstan proposes reviving Baku-Supsa oil pipeline

The potential growth in demand for Kazakh oil in the West raises the question of its transit through Azerbaijan via the currently idle Baku-Supsa pipeline, Kazakh Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov said.

Kazakh Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov told Azerbaijani media about negotiations with SOCAR to resume the operation of the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline, which has been idle since March 2022. Astana is considering the idle pipeline as a route for the transit of Kazakh oil in the western direction.

The specificity of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in oil transportation is that the countries produce oil of very different quality: Azerbaijan's SOCAR produces high-quality light oil of the Azeri Light brand, while Kazakhstan produces a heavier grade with a high sulfur content. Pumping Kazakh oil through the main regional Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline requires additional work to ensure the quality of oil required by buyers (some refineries require light grades, others - heavy grades).