Overview
- Kazakhstan’s energy ministry, which on Tuesday detailed its response to Russia’s May 1 suspension, will divert 100,000 tonnes to the Baltic port of Ust-Luga and 160,000 tonnes through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.
- Kazakh officials said the plan uses tested routes and keeps annual production targets and contract deliveries on track after Moscow’s decision to block Druzhba transit.
- The Schwedt refinery in eastern Germany, a key source of fuel for Berlin and Brandenburg, had relied on Kazakh crude and could face tighter supply if the new routes falter, according to reporting cited by TASS.
- Ust-Luga has been hit by recent Ukrainian strikes that caused brief shutdowns, while the CPC line already carries most Kazakh exports and offers spare capacity for part of the reroute.
- Kazakhstan supplied about 2.1 million tonnes to Germany last year through Druzhba and had aimed higher in 2026, but the pipeline’s recent disruptions and repairs left the Kazakh leg exposed to Russia’s new bypass plan.