Kazakh oil transit via Druzhba pipeline will resume as soon as possible — ministry

ASTANA, April 22. /TASS/. Oil transit from Kazakhstan via the Druzhba pipeline will resume as soon as it is technically feasible, Kazakh Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov told reporters. "As soon as it becomes technically feasible, transit of Kazakh oil will resume," he said. According to him, the information about the transit suspension only concerns May. He added that during the planned supply suspension, Kazakhstan is reallocating oil supplies to other destinations, including the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). "We don’t plan to cut production. We can reallocate these volumes to other destinations. <...> The situation with the CPC is stable," he said, responding to questions about the possible production reduction and the situation at the CPC. The minister also noted that oil could be redirected for deliveries to China. Earlier, in response to a request for comment on media reports about the suspension of oil pumping through the Druzhba pipeline starting May 1, Akkenzhenov said that Astana has been informed about it. However, he noted that this information is currently unconfirmed, and there have been no official statements from the Russian side. Kazakhstan's national operator, Kaztransoil, ensures oil transit through Russia via the Transneft pipeline system. Kazakh oil is then pumped through Belarus via the pipeline system of JSC Gomeltransneft Druzhba to the Adamova Zastava oil delivery point for further delivery to an oil refinery in the German city of Schwedt.