BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 24. The export of oil from Kazakhstan will decrease within a month and a half, but the decrease will not be great, Kazakh Minister of Energy Bolat Akchulakov told Atameken Business TV channel while commenting on the issue related to the impact as a result of the stoppage of oil loading at the sea terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium on the oil and gas sector.
Akchulakov stressed that 53-54 million tons of oil were shipped via Caspian Pipeline Consortium last year, so of course, it is quite difficult to redirect such a huge volume very quickly.
“However, the Ministry of Energy has alternatives,” the minister added. “Partly it is the port of Aktau. We also have an oil pipeline that goes through Samara and there is still a small volume that can be transferred in the direction of China.”
The minister said that the rest bigger routes that could be considered, will really take time because certain technical solutions are required.
“These alternative routes are being considered while the mooring equipment is being repaired, which will take at least one month,” Akchulakov said. “Three weeks account for the repair of one mooring equipment, but other mooring equipment is being inspected, it is in working condition. Our colleagues from Caspian Pipeline Consortium said that two other types of mooring equipment have defects. Both berths cannot be repaired at the same time.”
The minister said that if the repair of the most important, third berth takes three weeks, the second cannot be repaired in parallel, it will probably take some time too.
“But we can not say that this oil pipeline does not work at all,” Akchulakov said. “That is, there will be downtown for some time. But I don't think that the shutdown of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium will take a year or a few months. Probably, it will be much less - three weeks - a month.”
Akchulakov also stressed that even taking into account all the alternatives, oil export will decrease within a month and a half, but it will not be so great.
“I would like to draw the attention of experts to the fact that there are scheduled shutdowns at big deposits and at any deposits in Kazakhstan,” the minister said.
“For example, Tengiz and Kashagan, Karachaganak, as well as other fields, periodically shut down for repair, which takes 40-50 days,” Akchulakov said. “It is clear that this is permissible technologically.”
“Therefore, the repair of the infrastructure of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium in the port of Novorossiysk, which will take a month and a half, will not be hard for Kazakhstan,” the minister said. “The production will decrease, but this can be considered as technologically acceptable decrease.”
As for budget revenues, the minister said that he sees no risks here as today the price of oil is quite high - more than $120 per barrel, while the oil price at $60 per barrel has been set for this year.
