Russia’s transit of oil through Kazakhstan’s pipeline system, operated by main pipeline operator KazTransOil, to China and Uzbekistan totalled 10.21mn tonnes in 2024, up 70,000 tonnes from the previous year.
The shipment of Russian oil to China via Kazakhstan was an issue Russian President Vladimir Putin raised during a state visit he paid to Astana at the end of November when his delegation and Kazakh officials discussed the possibility of increasing Russian oil and gas exports to China via Kazakhstan. It is a possibility that underscores the growing strategic importance of Kazakhstan as a transit hub in Russia’s ongoing energy diplomacy with China.
In 2025, KazTransOil is expected to continue transporting around 10mn tonnes of Russian oil to China via the route spanning the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan (Priirtyshsk to Atasu) and Alashankou in China.
Russia is considering a move to build new pipeline capacity in Kazakhstan that would enable a substantial expansion of oil exports to China.
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