Kazakhstan’s oil output fell to 218,900 metric tons on Monday from 252,600 a day earlier as the country’s western regions, where oil fields are concentrated, were hit by a power outage, energy ministry data showed on Tuesday.

Oil refining dropped to 28,900 metric tons from 37,300 metric tons, according to the same data. The blackout led to an emergency shutdown of the Atyrau oil refinery.

At a government meeting on Tuesday, Dauletzhan Khasanov, deputy chief executive of state oil company KazMunayGaz KMGZ.KZ, said the refinery planned to fully restore output by the end of the week.

Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov told the same meeting that other companies affected by the blackout were gradually restarting their operations.

Power supply to the CPC pipeline which pumps Kazakh crude to the Black Sea was restored late on Monday, officials said.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Kim Coghill)