8 December 2025
Damage to the Caspian pipeline terminal forced Kazakhstan to export oil from the Kashagan field for the first time, bypassing Russia.
In December, Kazakhstan will ship approximately 50,000 tons of oil from the large Kashagan field directly to China for the first time. Previously, most of this cargo was shipped via Novorossiysk on the Black Sea. However, following the Ukrainian drone attack on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal, the Kazakhs were forced to find an alternative route.
Reuters reports this.
The terminal that was hit by the Ukrainian Defense Forces accounted for approximately 1% of global oil supplies and served Russian, Kazakh, and American suppliers. Following the attack, it was forced to curtail exports. The cause was severe damage to one of its key berthing points: SPM-2 was put out of action. Another berth is undergoing scheduled maintenance. Currently, only one is operational.
According to Kazakhstan’s new plan, oil will be transported via the Atasu-Alashankou pipeline to China’s Xinjiang region. Production at Kashagan is managed by the NCOC consortium, which includes China’s CNPC and Japan’s Inpex. According to sources, CNPC will ship approximately 30,000 tons of oil to China, and Inpex approximately 20,000 tons.
Representatives of CNPC and Inpex have not yet commented on the situation, while the Kazakh Ministry of Energy confirmed that it is seeking additional routes. Work is underway to redistribute volumes and activate alternative supply routes.
The Kashagan field, located in the northern Caspian Sea, is considered one of the largest discovered in the last 40 years. Most of its oil is typically exported through Novorossiysk.
On average, oil supplies through the Atasu-Alashankou pipeline amount to 85–86 thousand tons per month and can be increased thanks to additional export volumes.
Reference
Ukraine attacked the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s marine terminal early in the morning of October 29. Unmanned attack boats participated in the operation. The attack is part of Kyiv’s larger campaign to target Russia’s energy facilities in order to reduce its revenues and ability to finance the war. Kazakhstan reacted sharply to the strike and called on the Ukrainians not to attack the terminal again. Kyiv responded with an equally harsh response.
https://www.dialog.ua/business/325137_1765215108