Kazakhstan officially confirmed that Russia is preventing it from supplying oil to Europe
Kazakhstan officially confirmed that in May, the transit of Kazakh oil to Germany via Russian territory through the Druzhba oil pipeline is suspended . This is not about a decision by Astana, but about alleged restrictions from the Russian infrastructure side, writes Euronews.
Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Yerlan Akenzhanov stated that there are no official explanations from Russia yet. However, through unofficial channels, the Kazakh side received information that oil pumping will be temporarily halted for at least May.
According to the minister, the Russian side cites a lack of technical capabilities for oil transportation. He also noted that this may likely be related to recent strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, which could have affected the system's operation.
The route is used for supplying Kazakh oil via Russia to a refinery in Schwedt, Germany. The volume of supplies is up to 200,000 barrels per day. This is an important, but not the primary, export channel for Kazakhstan.
The minister clarified that, according to current information, the suspension only concerns May. However, there are signals that the restrictions might continue into the second quarter if technical problems are not resolved.
Kazakhstan's authorities emphasize that the country does not plan to reduce oil production. In case of a prolonged interruption, volumes will be redirected to other export routes.
Overall, the situation appears to be a technical restriction on transit from the Russian side, which has temporarily affected supplies to Germany, with both sides admitting that transportation could resume once technical capabilities are restored.