Kazakhstan will redirect its oil exports to Germany via the Russian port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) system. This was announced by official representative of the Ministry of Energy Assel Serikpayeva, as quoted by Interfax, reports Todayinfo news agency.
The move concerns 260,000 tonnes of crude originally scheduled for transport via the Druzhba pipeline. "Due to adjustments in the transit schedule for the Druzhba system towards Germany (Schwedt refinery) for May 2026, the Ministry of Energy announces a planned redistribution of export volumes amounting to 260,000 tonnes," Serikpayeva said.
According to her, 100,000 tonnes will be shipped through the port of Ust-Luga, and the remaining 160,000 tonnes via the CPC. This scheme has been agreed with shippers and is operational in nature. The route change will not affect the planned annual production volume of 98 million tonnes.
In late April, disruptions in supplies via the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline were reported. On April 22, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov commented on the situation, stating that Astana had not received official notifications from Moscow at that time but learned of the disruptions through unofficial channels due to strikes on Druzhba infrastructure. Subsequently, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the suspension of transit due to "technical issues" and promised that Kazakhstan's interests would be safeguarded using alternative routes.
Since 2023, Kazakh oil from the Kashagan, Karachaganak, and Tengiz fields has been exported to Germany's Schwedt refinery, which was owned by Russia's Rosneft until 2022 and is now under government management. Over this period, supply volumes have increased from 1.2 million tonnes per year to a planned 2.5 million tonnes for 2026. Deliveries are carried out via the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline, which passes through Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Germany. Since 2022, this branch has been used exclusively for Kazakh crude, while the southern branch (through Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic) supplies oil to Hungary and Slovakia.
