Kazakhstan has resumed oil exports via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline system, the press service of KazMunayGas (KMG) said, as per Interfax.

“On September 13, 8,800 tonnes of Kashagan oil were shipped from the port of Aktau in the direction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. The next shipment is planned for September 20,” KMG said.

Supplies of Kazakh oil via this route were temporarily suspended in August 2025. Prior to this, in July, a number of media outlets citing sources reported that excessive content of organic chlorides (substances used to increase production) had been detected in certain batches of Azerbaijani Azeri Light oil.

On July 24, BP in Azerbaijan reported that quality checks of oil at all facilities along the BTC confirmed that it met specification requirements. Organic chlorides were found in some tanks at the terminal in the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

KMG and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR) signed an agreement on the transit of Kazakh oil in 2022. In 2024, the parties concluded a new agreement providing for a phased increase in volumes pumped through Azerbaijani territory.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, with a length of around 1,700 km, connects the Caspian region with the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Its throughput capacity reaches 50 million tonnes of oil per year. For Kazakhstan, the BTC plays a strategic role in diversifying exports and ensuring stable access to global markets.
Source: Reuters