Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to Boost Oil Shipments via BTC Pipeline

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan plan to increase the volume of Kazakhstan's oil transported through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline to seven million tons per year by 2027 — more than four times the current level,  Orda.kz reports.

According to Azertac, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov announced the plan during a meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission. He noted that transit volumes could rise further in the long term and emphasized Azerbaijan’s interest in continued cooperation with Kazakhstan, particularly in logistics.

We are prepared to deepen cooperation in developing the Middle Corridor — the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route — and to explore new opportunities, including the prospect of opening the Zangezur Corridor. I would also like to note the positive dynamics of cooperation in other areas, including the humanitarian sphere,  said Parviz Shahbazov.

Since 2023, the BTC pipeline has transported 3.4 million tons of Kazakh oil. Currently, 1.7 million tons of crude from Tengiz and Kashagan fields are exported through this route each year.

The BTC pipeline serves as a key alternative for Kazakhstan’s oil exports, bypassing Russia. In November 2024, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy announced plans to expand deliveries via the BTC to as much as 20 million tons annually, though technical challenges remain due to differences in oil quality compared to Azerbaijan’s Azeri Light grade.

In August 2025, Kazakhstan temporarily suspended shipments through the BTC following chloride contamination in the pipeline’s storage tanks. Investigations later confirmed that Kazakhstan’s crude was not responsible, and exports resumed in mid-September.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny