Kazakh oil, important for Romania and Europe, is starting to be restricted for export due to security issues in the Black Sea

Oil from one of Kazakhstan’s giant fields has been redirected to a local refinery for the first time – it could no longer be exported through Russia’s Black Sea terminal, which was hit by drone attacks. And crude from another large field, originally destined for the Black Sea region, has been diverted. Kazakhstan is Romania’s main oil supplier and the European Union’s third-largest source of oil.

Oil from Kazakhstan’s vast Kashagan field, one of the country’s three largest oil fields, has been redirected to the domestic market for the first time, due to blockages at the Black Sea terminal through which most of the country’s crude exports reach markets, four industry sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which handles about 80 percent of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, has cut volumes after equipment at the Russian Black Sea terminal was severely damaged in drone attacks in late November.

Kazakhstan diverted 300,000 metric tons of oil out of the CPC in December, state-owned KazMunayGas said Friday. Some volumes were also delivered to China via the Atasu–Alashankou pipeline.

The sources said Kashagan crude was supplied to Kazakhstan’s Shymkent refinery for the first time in history, without specifying the volumes.

Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry, the company that operates the Kashagan field, pipeline operator Kaztransoil and Kazmunaygas did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Total crude deliveries to the Shymkent refinery are scheduled to reach 542,000 tonnes in January, the sources said.

Kashagan is a huge offshore field in the northern Caspian Sea discovered in 2000, one of the largest oil discoveries in recent decades and also among the most expensive to develop. Production began in 2013. The field produced about 378,500 barrels per day in 2024, below its original projected capacity of 400,000 bpd. Development plans aim to increase output to 450,000 bpd.

Kashagan is operated by the North Caspian Operating Company, which includes Eni (16.81%), Shell (16.81%), TotalEnergies (16.81%), ExxonMobil (16.81%), Kazmunaygas (16.88%), Inpex (7.56%) and China National Petroleum Corp (8.33%).

Production suspended at another major Kazakh field

Oil production at the Tengiz field, another major field in Kazakhstan, could be suspended for another 7-10 days after Sunday’s shutdown, further reducing crude exports through the CPC, three industry sources told Reuters. Earlier, the company that operates the field, Tengizchevroil (TCO), said that production at the Tengiz and Korolevskoye fields had been suspended due to power supply problems. A day earlier, on January 18, a fire broke out at two transformers at the GTES-4 power plant serving the field.

Three sources added that TCO has already canceled five export cargoes of CPC Blend crude, totaling between 600,000 and 700,000 metric tons, scheduled for January and February from CPC’s Black Sea terminal.

Chevron, TCO’s largest shareholder, confirmed that “as a precautionary measure, TCO has temporarily suspended production at the Tengiz and Korolevskoye fields.” The company declined to comment on operational details or financials. The drop in production at Tengiz has not yet affected Kazakhstan’s overall output, this time as other producers have increased their output.

In the first 12 days of January, however, Kazakhstan’s oil output fell by 35% compared to the December average due to restrictions on exports through CPC.

Drone attacks on tankers loading Kazakh oil

Last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan issued an official statement regarding the incident at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium sea terminal in the Black Sea, with the Kazakhs calling for firm measures to ensure the safety of oil tankers carrying crude oil.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan expresses its deep concern over the January 13 attacks by unmanned drones on three oil tankers heading to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium sea terminal in the Black Sea,” said the ministry’s official representative, Yerlan Zhetybayev.

“We emphasize that the Republic of Kazakhstan is not a party to any armed conflict, makes a significant contribution to strengthening global and European energy security and ensures uninterrupted energy supplies, in full compliance with established international standards. In this regard, we note that the respective oil tankers had all the necessary permits and were equipped with the necessary equipment.

We recall that on January 13, the oil tanker Matilda, under the Maltese flag and leased by a subsidiary of the national company KazMunayGas, was attacked by a drone (UAV). “An explosion was detected on the vessel without a subsequent fire. There were no casualties or injuries among the crew. According to preliminary assessments of the technical services, the oil tanker remains seaworthy, and so far no signs of critical structural damage to the ship’s hull have been identified.

The oil tanker Delta Harmony, under the Liberian flag, was also attacked by a drone while waiting for loading. The incident caused a fire, which was quickly extinguished. There were no injuries among the crew. According to the task force, the ship had not yet been loaded with oil at the time of the incident, and the cargo tanks were empty, so there was no damage to Kazakhstan’s export resources,” according to the same source. mandatory notification, Zhetybayev added.

The attacks immediately increased the costs of insuring vessels operating in the Black Sea

Kazakh oil, important for Europe

Kazakhstan, Romania’s main oil supplier, has been in the top 3 of the European Union’s oil sources since 2024, amid the European bloc’s efforts to move away from Russian fuel. In the first nine months of 2025, it maintained its position, with a share of 12.2% of total European Union imports, surpassed only by Norway and the United States. In total, the EU imported 9.1 million barrels of oil per day (boe) in 2024. The leading sources were the United States, with 1.4 million boe, Norway with 1.1 million boe and, very close, Kazakhstan, with 1.05 million boe. Most likely, the volume for the whole year 2025 was higher.

In 2024, the oil and gas industry in Kazakhstan turned 125 years old. During this time, the sector expanded from a handful of wells to a major industry, establishing Kazakhstan as a key geopolitical player, especially following the production sharing agreements signed by the state with major global players – ExxonMobil, Chevron, Eni, BP, Lukoil, etc. It is now the 11th largest crude oil producer in the world.

The main export route is the CPC pipeline to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the eastern Black Sea, through which about 80% of Kazakhstan’s total crude oil exports are exported. From here, the crude oil is loaded onto tankers and transported to destination markets. Transportation is also carried out by Kazmortransflot, the sea transport division of the national company KazMunaygas (owner of the Rompetrol group), which has its own fleet of tankers and also leases others.