Kazakhstan ready to boost oil supplies to Uzbekistan on favorable terms - minister

ASTANA. Oct 11 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan is ready to boost oil supplies to Uzbekistan, provided Uzbekistan offers favorable terms, Deputy Kazakh Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov said.

"To date, 87,000 tonnes of Kazakh oil have been transported to Uzbekistan. If mutually agreeable terms can be reached, the supply volumes will increase accordingly," Akkenzhenov said on social media.

Kazakhstan might redirect oil shipments to Uzbekistan from alternative sources, he said.

The current source of oil deliveries from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan are the Shagyr oil loading station in Shymkent and the Kasymov oil pumping station in Atyrau.

"If Uzbekistan offers better prices and terms than China and other foreign markets, we are ready to consider increasing oil supplies. Discussions on this matter have already taken place with Uzbek colleagues and Kazakhstan's oil producers," he said.

Akkenzhenov denied media reports that Russian oil was replacing Kazakh oil in the Uzbek market.

"It's not true. Russian oil is being supplied to Uzbekistan, but in far lower volumes than from Kazakh producers," he said.

According to Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry, Kazakh oil exports to Uzbekistan accounted for just 0.13% of the total volume in 2022.