[Source: BBC]
A Russian court has ordered a suspension of Kazakh oil exports to Western markets for a month.
Russia controls the Black Sea oil terminal at Novorossiisk, where tankers load up with oil sent via pipeline from the Tengiz field in Kazakhstan.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) operates the pipeline and is appealing against the ruling. The court found “documentary violations” in the CPC’s oil spill response plan.
Several Western oil giants have stakes in the CPC, including Chevron and Mobil.
Russia’s oil and gas exports are now restricted under Western sanctions, so producers like Kazakhstan are much in demand.
Kazakhstan provided 6% of EU oil imports in 2020, and Russia 29%, the EU Commission says. The CPC carries 80% of Kazakh oil exports to Europe.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has publicly refused to recognise the Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics” declared by Russia in eastern Ukraine.
He has also suggested Kazakhstan could boost its oil exports to the EU.
