Kazakhstan applies to start sending oil to Germany via Russia

Kazakhstan’s state-run pipeline operator applied to export oil to Germany via the Druzhba link, as Berlin seeks to replace Russian crude deliveries.

Kaztransoil applied to its Russian counterpart Transneft to send 20,000 tons through the Druzhba pipeline, company spokesman Shyngys Ilyasov said by phone. Kazakhstan aims to send 1.2 million tons of oil to Germany this year, he said. 

Kazakhstan plans to send the first shipment on Wednesday, according to the Astana-based Energy Ministry.

Germany has historically been the largest European buyer of Russian crude, but it’s aiming to cut its dependency following the invasion of Ukraine. While the European Union has exempted pipeline imports of Russian barrels from sanctions, Germany has pledged to stop all purchases this year, partly by switching to Kazakh supplies. 

Poland, which is still buying Russian crude, earlier this month said it is concerned about the replacement plan. There are no guarantees the shipments to Germany will originate in Kazakhstan, rather than Russia, according to Poland’s Climate Minister Anna Moskwa said. 

Germany’s Economy Ministry said some mixing of Kazakh and Russian crude is unavoidable. “What is critical is that there are no more shipments from Russia, so there is no money flowing to Russia,” a ministry’s spokeswoman said. 

The northern branch of the giant Druzhba pipeline system feeds two refineries in eastern Germany as well as plants in Poland. Kazakhstan has the capacity to raise the annual deliveries 6 million tons, the nation’s Energy Ministry Bolat Akchulakov said earlier this year.