Kazakhstan Considers Baku-Supsa Oil Route Amid CPC Disruptions

Kazakhstan is actively considering additional oil export routes, including the Baku-Supsa pipeline, as it seeks to diversify its options following temporary restrictions on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). These disruptions in July prompted the diversion of some Kazakh oil volumes to alternative pathways.

During the CPC restrictions, Kazakh oil was rerouted through the Aktau port, the Atasu-Alashankou pipeline towards China, and the Atyrau-Samara route. Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry spokesperson, Assel Serikpayeva, indicated that further export options under consideration include transportation through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) system and trans-Caspian shipments via Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has expressed willingness to increase its intake of Kazakh oil to 2.2 million tons annually, up from the current approximately 1.5 million tons transported via the BTC pipeline.

The BTC route involves shipping Kazakh oil across the Caspian Sea from Aktau to Azerbaijan, then through Georgia to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan in Türkiye. The Baku-Supsa route offers another pathway through Azerbaijan and Georgia to the Supsa terminal on Georgia's Black Sea coast. Kazakhstan had previously considered using this corridor, with its potential use in 2025 dependent on commercial terms and operational agreements.

These efforts to secure additional capacity come as Kazakhstan remains heavily reliant on the CPC pipeline, which transports oil from western Kazakhstan to a terminal near Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. In 2025, approximately 64.8 million tons of oil were exported via CPC, representing a significant portion of Kazakhstan's total oil exports. The CPC route experienced multiple disruptions in July, including scheduled maintenance and a suspension of loading operations following drone attacks on tankers.

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Additional export options under consideration include transportation through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan system, trans-Caspian shipments through Azerbaijan and the Baku-Supsa route.