Baku, August 27 — Kazakhstan is exploring the possibility of using the Baku–Supsa oil pipeline to export its crude if an agreement is reached with Azerbaijan, according to Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov.
“We are considering all export routes, including Baku–Supsa. I did not say this option is commercially unviable. However, from a geographical perspective, our oil currently moves through the Atyrau–Samara system directly to the Black Sea via Russia,” Akkenzhenov told Report.
Economic Considerations
The minister noted that transportation through Baku–Supsa would be costlier than the Russian route due to double loading/unloading operations at the Aktau and Baku ports before entering the pipeline.
“This means higher expenses for shippers. For now, the issue is under review,” he added.
Pipeline Readiness
Akkenzhenov stressed that no additional investment is required to adapt Baku–Supsa for Kazakh oil.
Currently, the pipeline is used for technical oil, but BP Azerbaijan confirmed it remains operational and ready for crude transport.
Pipeline Background
Length: 837 km
Capacity: 7.5 million tons per year
Commissioned: April 17, 1999, under the ACG (Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli) project.
In recent years, only small batches have been transported: 150,000 tons in 2023 and 90,000 tons in 2024.
