Kazakhstan is set to reduce its oil shipments through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) by as much as 70% this month, according to a senior government official.
Deputy Energy Minister Alibek Zhamauov confirmed the reduction, telling local media that the CPC, which carries the majority of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, would see a significant decrease in supply for March. “To date, there have been no reductions in oil transportation through the CPC infrastructure from Kazakhstan. However, in March, oil supplies through the CPC will be reduced by 70 percent from our volume,” Zhamauov said.
The country is also planning to cut its oil production in line with its OPEC+ commitment. Kazakhstan aims to produce 1.5 million barrels of oil per day this month, down from February’s record-high output of 2.12 million barrels daily, which marked a 13% increase over January’s levels. The February figure includes gas condensate production, with Kazakhstan’s crude oil output standing at 1.83 million barrels per day when excluding condensate.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium has faced disruptions in the past, particularly following a Ukrainian attack that caused a temporary decline in Kazakh oil shipments. The CPC’s 1,511-kilometer pipeline, which runs from Tengiz to Novorossiysk, Russia, handles more than two-thirds of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, as well as crude from Russian fields.
Kazakhstan has faced ongoing challenges in meeting OPEC+ production quotas. The Central Asian nation, along with Russia and Iraq, has been consistently overproducing, leading to the submission of compensation plans last year to adjust the excess output by September 2025. February’s production figures suggest Kazakhstan is struggling to meet these commitments, with an estimated 620,000 barrels per day of excess production. For Russia, the excess stands at 480,000 barrels daily, while Iraq faces a much larger discrepancy, with a 1.2 million-barrel daily reduction required.