Kazakhstan shifts oil flows to BTC, Germany, China as CPC limits persist

KazMunayGas has redirected close to 300,000 tons of crude oil to alternative export routes in December 2025 as a result of restrictions affecting the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), according to Caliber.Az, which cited the company’s press service.

The company noted that, toward the end of last year, limitations on the transportation of Kazakh oil through the CPC system required urgent action to shift volumes to other export corridors. These reroutings were carried out through the network of KazTransOil JSC (KTO).

Approximately 300,000 tons of oil were subsequently redirected via the KTO system for onward export to multiple destinations, including Germany, China, the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) route, as well as through the ports of Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga. KazMunayGas added that these redirection measures will continue in January 2026 due to ongoing intake constraints on the CPC side.

The company also reported progress on additional export routes:

Kazakh oil supplies to Germany’s Schwedt refinery demonstrated continued growth in 2025, reaching 2.1 million tons. For 2026, export volumes to Germany are projected to rise to 2.5 million tons.

Shipments of Kazakh crude from the port of Aktau via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline totalled 1.3 million tons in 2025, with expected volumes in 2026 of up to 1.6 million tons.

Kazakhstan’s oil exports to the People’s Republic of China have likewise remained steady. By the end of 2025, volumes sent to China amounted to 1.1 million tons.

By Tamilla Hasanova