Kazakhstan will cut crude shipments via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline to 120,000 metric tons in August from 140,000 tons in July as its giant Tengiz oilfield starts maintenance, oil pipeline operator Kaztransoil KZTO.KZ told Reuters on Friday.

Kazakhstan shipped 701,200 tons of crude via the BTC in January-June, up from 373,100 tons a year earlier, Kaztransoil said, reflecting its drive to diversify oil transit routes away from Russia.

Crude shipments to China rose to 648,000 tons from 621,000, Kaztransoil said.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Alla Afanasyeva; writing by Olzhas Auyezov; editing by Jason Neely)