Kazakhstan may resume oil transit via BTC pipeline

Kazakhstan is holding talks to resume oil transit via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC), Kazakh Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said.

"There was a report about the suspension. But I know that now KazMunaiGas is negotiating the earliest possible resumption along this route," Akkenzhenov said.

Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan held talks 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).