KazTransOil reduces exports to China after oil contamination

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan – Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry has adjusted the schedule for oil transportation for January, reducing oil exports to China, after contamination was detected in the CNPC-Aktobemunauygas trunk pipeline, the press-service of National Main Oil Pipeline Operator of Kazakhstan, KazTransOil, said on 22 January.
“Given the decline in volume of oil delivery for transportation through trunk oil pipeline’s system, the ministry adjusted the schedule for oil transportation to the refineries of Kazakhstan and for export for January of 2020. In particular, the scheduled volume of export for Kazakh producers in the direction of China was reduced. Exempt volume of crude oil is redirected to supply Shymkent Refinery. The schedule of crude oil supply to Pavlodar Petrochemical Plant has also been changed,” KazTransOil said.
A reason of this correction is the decline in volume of oil delivery for transportation through the trunk oil pipeline’s system. On January 16, KazTransOil stopped accepting oil from CNPC-Aktobemunauygas after the KazTransOil detected low quality of oil with high levels of organic chloride in the trunk pipeline system.
As of January 22, the issue of low oil quality was not resolved and KazTransOil had not started accepting crude oil from CNPC-Aktobemunaygas. CNPC-Aktobemunaigas is preparing a storage tank for loading clean crude oil for delivery to the trunk oil pipelines’ system of KazTransOil. “Currently, the transportation of crude oil by trunk oil pipelines’ system is carried out in accordance with the adjusted schedule,” the company noted.
KazTransOil is a National Main Oil Pipeline Operator of Kazakhstan. The company is a part of KazMunaiGas Group.