Kazakhstan Resumes Oil Exports via Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Kazakhstan has restarted oil exports through Azerbaijan using the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline after shipments were suspended in August due to chloride contamination in Azerbaijani oil, Orda.kz reports.

KazMunayGas confirmed that 8,800 tons of Kashagan crude were shipped from the port of Aqtau into the BTC pipeline on September 13, with the next loading set for September 20.

The volume of Kazakh oil transported in the direction of the BTC for the first eight months of 2025 amounted to 0.9 million tons,KMG said.

Exports were halted when chlorides were detected in Azerbaijani Azeri Light crude, lowering its price and shipment volumes. Kazakhstan, which aims to expand BTC shipments as an alternative to Russian routes, faces restrictions because its oil is of lower quality than Azeri Light.

As a result, SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state oil company, only accepts limited volumes of Kazakh crude.

Subsequent tests confirmed that oil from Kazakhstan’s Tengiz and Kashagan fields contained no organic chlorine compounds, clearing the country of responsibility for the contamination incident.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny