Russian oil - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 8

Oil

U.S. Extends Sanctions Exemption for Transit of Russian Oil Through Kazakhstan

The United States has extended a sanctions exemption allowing the transit of Russian oil to China through Kazakhstan until March 2027, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy. The license was issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control under the U.S. Department of the Treasury and is valid until March 19, 2027. “Following negotiations with OFAC, the term of the license for the transit of Russian oil to China has been extended. Cooperation on this issue will continue,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that Kazakhstan and Russia are discussing the possibility of increasing supply volumes. At present, transit continues under existing sanctions exemptions. Kazakhstan transports approximately 10 million tons of Russian oil to China annually under an intergovernmental agreement valid until 2034. Earlier, Islamdaut Akubaev, a representative of KazTransOil, said Kazakhstan had received notification from OFAC regarding an extension of the transit permit until April 2026.

Oil Imports

Georgia May Replace Russian Oil with Imports from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan

Georgia’s only oil refinery, owned by Black Sea Petroleum (BSP), plans to completely stop importing Russian oil and instead switch to crude supplies from Turkmenistan and, potentially, Kazakhstan. This was announced by the company’s CEO, David Potskhveria. According to Potskhveria, the shift would not only diversify supply sources but also open access to European markets. “We will completely replace Russian oil with Turkmen oil, and then with Kazakhstani oil. This will give us the opportunity to export products to the EU,” he said. The rationale is straightforward: imports of Russian petroleum products into the European Union are currently prohibited. Maintaining previous supply arrangements would effectively block access to European markets. However, switching suppliers presents logistical challenges. As Potskhveria noted, processing of Turkmen crude can begin only after transit issues through Azerbaijan are resolved. For now, logistics remain the main bottleneck. While the refinery is technically ready, implementation depends on securing reliable transport routes. The proposed move away from Russian oil follows earlier developments. In late February, the EU considered including the Kulevi port on a preliminary sanctions list due to its import and processing of Russian crude. The trigger was a shipment delivered in October 2025 by Russneft, involving approximately 105,000 tons of oil to the port of Kulevi. The shipment prompted criticism from the Georgian opposition, which accused the authorities of undermining the sanctions regime and appealed to European institutions. The Kulevi refinery is a relatively new entrant to the regional oil market. It began operations in December last year and has already outlined expansion plans. Its current processing capacity is around 1.2 million tons per year, with plans to increase this to 4.5 million tons. At present, the facility produces fuel oil, diesel, and other petroleum products. Future plans include expanding output to Euro-5 standard gasoline, jet fuel, and Eurodiesel. BSP’s international partners reportedly include Trafigura and Saudi Aramco.

Oil and Gas

Tajikistan and Russia Explore Joint Oil and Gas Development Opportunities

Tajikistan and Russia are studying the possibility of jointly exploiting oil and gas fields in Tajikistan. At the intergovernmental commission meeting held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan's Prime Minister, Kohir Rasulzoda, and the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government, Marat Khusnullin, discussed the development of mines. “We have given the Russian side a list of promising oil and gas fields in Tajikistan for joint development. We propose to continue working on finding common ground to implement a mutually beneficial project in this area,” Rasulzoda said. He said the Russian side's opinions were considered when making this decision. The Statistical Agency of Tajikistan provides information that in 2023, about 18,000 tons of oil were produced in the country, which isn’t enough to supply oil refineries. In this regard, oil products are imported to Tajikistan. Russia, the leading supplier, provides gasoline and diesel to Tajikistan without customs fees.

Kazakhstan Russian oil Oil transit to China

Kazakhstan to Earn $1.7 Billion from Russian Oil Transit to China

The Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan has ratified amendments to the agreement between the Governments of Kazakhstan and Russia on the transportation of Russian oil through Kazakhstan to China. The original agreement, signed on December 24, 2013, covers the period up until January 1, 2024 but both parties have now expressed their interest in its extension to 2033. According to Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliev, extending the agreement for a further ten years will enable the transit 10 million tons of Russian oil per year. Approval was granted for transit tariff set at $15 per ton and between 2024 and 2033, the forecast revenue from the transit of Russian oil through Kazakhstan to China is $1.710 billion. Statistics show that from 2014 to 2023, the total transit of Russian oil through Kazakhstan to China amounted to 90,899,271 tons, providing transit revenue of $1.327 billion.