Kazakhstan plans to increase the transit of Russian oil to China by 30 percent after 2023, Kazakh oil pipeline operator Kaztransoil said, Hellenic Shipping News reported.
Russia’s Rosneft currently sends 10 million tonnes of oil annually to China through Kazakhstan under a deal which will last until 2023. Some of Rosneft’s oil is consumed by a Kazakh refinery and replaced under a swap arrangement.
Asked about further transit plans, Kaztransoil said in an email that it wanted to increase the volume.
“We are now working on the issue of increasing transit volumes to China to 13 million tonnes a year,” the company said.
The boost will become possible after Kazakhstan reverses the domestic Kenkiyak-Atyrau pipeline that is used to ship crude in a westerly direction. Doing so will allow Kazakhstan to both pump more oil eastward and supply its refineries with domestic crude, freeing up volumes for China.
