Improve your offer and we’ll send you more oil Kazakhstan tells Uzbekistan

Kazakhstan has declared its readiness to increase its oil exports to Uzbekistan if it receives improved prices and contractual conditions, TASS has reported, with reference to the Kazakh Ministry of Energy.

"If the Uzbek side offers prices and conditions better than [what is available for oil pumped] in the direction of China or other foreign countries, we are ready to consider increasing supplies," the ministry was reported as saying.

By the end of 2022, Uzbekistan as a market accounted for only 0.13%, or 87,000 tonnes, of Kazakh oil exports. During 9M23, Kazakhstan’s southern neighbour took 46,000 tonnes.

Vedomosti, meanwhile, has reported that Kazakhstan has cut shipments of oil to Uzbekistan by railroad to a minimum. The Kazakh oil was replaced by cheaper Russian oil. Supplies of Russian oil to Uzbekistan increased more than fivefold in the first half of this year to 1.2mn tonnes.

Uzbekistan’s oil and petroleum product imports expanded by almost 48% to $1.09bn in 8M23, according to the country’s national statistical committee.

Oil arriving in Uzbekistan from Kazakhstan is exported via Shagyr oil loading station and Kasymov oil pumping station, located in Shymkent and Atyrau, respectively.