Kazakhstan Moves to Restore Oil Exports Via BTC Pipeline After Halt

Kazakhstan is negotiating the rapid resumption of crude shipments through the 1,768-kilometre Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline after exports were halted in early August when organic chloride was detected in Azeri BTC crude, the Energy Ministry said on Wednesday. Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov told the TASS news agency that state-owned KazMunaiGas is leading the talks and aims for the “earliest possible” restart. The pipeline carried 785,000 tonnes of Kazakh oil—about 34,000 barrels a day—in the first half of 2025, 12% more than a year earlier, highlighting its importance as a route that bypasses Russia. The ministry also announced plans to restart flows through the Bakhty transit corridor and said deliveries to European customers are proceeding without delays despite recent attacks on Ukraine’s Druzhba network. Kazakhstan relies on the Russia-linked Caspian Pipeline Consortium for more than 80% of its exports but is seeking to diversify outlets to reduce transit risks.