Kazakhstan’s energy ministry is in negotiations with the Russian government to refine Russian crude oil and ship a portion of the resulting petroleum products back to Russia, Reuters reported Thursday.
Under the proposed arrangement, Kazakh facilities would process Russian oil to cover local market needs while returning a portion of the refined gasoline and diesel back to Russia.
The energy ministry did not mention specific production volumes, delivery timelines or participating refineries, noting only that commercial traders would handle shipments under Kazakh law.
For Kazakhstan, the workaround is intended to keep its own refineries running at full capacity while guaranteeing its own domestic supply first.
“A top priority in the negotiations is fully meeting the needs of Kazakhstan’s domestic market,” the energy ministry was quoted as saying.
