KazTransOil, Abu Dhabi Ports could increase Batumi Oil Terminal capacity

ALMATY. April 10 (Interfax) - The Georgia-based subsidiary of Kazakhstan's KazTransOil and Abu Dhabi Ports are discussing the possibility of boosting the capacity of Batumi Oil Terminal for oil transportation through the Black Sea, KTO said in a press release.

In keeping with an agreement on strategic partnership signed in January 2023 by Kazakh national oil and gas company KazMunayGas and Abu Dhabi Ports Group, the top managers of Batumi Oil Terminal LLC, which is solely owned by KTO, and Batumi Seaport LLC, in which KTO has an exclusive right for the management of the 100% stake, met with representatives of Abu Dhabi Ports Group, National Maritime Shipping Company KazMorTransFlot LLP and KMG Systems&Services LLP.

"The meeting was shown a presentation featuring the facilities of Batumi Seaport and Batumi Oil Terminal. The parties discussed issues relating to their cooperation and a possibility of increasing the handling capacity [of the Batumi Oil Terminal] in support of oil transportation through the Black Sea," the press release says.

KazTransOil directly owns and manages production assets in Georgia through Batumi Oil Terminal LLC, which provides services for transshipment, pumping, storage of oil, petroleum products and gas, as well as processed products using its own berths, technological pipelines and tanks. The competitive advantage of Batumi Oil Terminal is flexibility in storage and transshipment of various grades of oil and petroleum products including liquefied petroleum gas.

The Batumi Seaport's oil terminal currently has the capacity to handle 15 million tonnes of cargo per year. The port handled 2 million tonnes of oil and petroleum products in 2022.

KazTransOil, part of KazMunayGas, is the national operator of oil pipelines in Kazakhstan. The company owns and operates 5,400 km of oil pipelines.