Kazakhstan to continue oil exports through Russia in 2026

In Astana, delegations from KazTransOil JSC and Russia’s Transneft PJSC held a working meeting on oil transportation, concluding with a service agreement for 2026 transit of Kazakh oil through Russia.

During the talks, the delegations also discussed broader aspects of bilateral cooperation in oil transportation, Caliber.Az reports via Kazakh media.

KazTransOil and Transneft have maintained long-standing partnerships based on reliable and mutually beneficial collaboration in the oil transport sector. 

Their joint efforts facilitate the export of Kazakh oil through Russia to the ports of Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga, as well as to the Russian-Belarusian border for subsequent delivery to European Union countries. The cooperation also covers the transit of Russian oil across Kazakhstan.

The signed agreement aims to ensure supply stability and maintain secure export routes for Kazakh oil in 2026.

Kazakhstan depends heavily on Russia’s pipeline networks, particularly the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), to export the majority of its crude oil to global markets, with over 80 % of its exports flowing through this Russia‑linked route and cooperative infrastructure between KazTransOil, Transneft and other international partners. 

The CPC is a transnational pipeline consortium established in 2001 that connects Kazakhstan’s Tengiz oil field to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, with shared ownership including Russia’s Transneft and Kazakhstan’s KazMunayGas, reflecting deep, longstanding energy integration. 

Beyond westward exports, Russia and Kazakhstan have expanded mutual energy transit cooperation toward Asia, increasing volumes of Russian oil shipped through Kazakh pipelines to China, creating reciprocal economic interdependence in hydrocarbon logistics. 

While collaboration on oil transportation remains central to bilateral energy ties, Kazakhstan is also pursuing diversification of export routes (e.g., via the Baku‑Tbilisi‑Ceyhan pipeline) to mitigate strategic risks associated with overreliance on Russian transit infrastructure. 

By Jeyhun Aghazada