Kazakhstan’s energy ministry is in negotiations with the Russian government to refine Russian crude oil and ship a portion of the resulting petroleum products back to Russia, Reuters reported Thursday.
Under the proposed arrangement, Kazakh facilities would process Russian oil to cover local market needs while returning a portion of the refined gasoline and diesel back to Russia.
The energy ministry did not mention specific production volumes, delivery timelines or participating refineries, noting only that commercial traders would handle shipments under Kazakh law.
For Kazakhstan, the workaround is intended to keep its own refineries running at full capacity while guaranteeing its own domestic supply first.
“A top priority in the negotiations is fully meeting the needs of Kazakhstan’s domestic market,” the energy ministry was quoted as saying.
The talks come as Russia extended a ban on gasoline and diesel exports through the end of next January as authorities in Moscow continue to try to stabilize the domestic fuel market following sweeping Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries and storage hubs.
Kazakhstan’s Kondensat refinery has processed Russian crude since at least mid-2024 and exported gasoline to Russia for the first time earlier this month.
Kazakhstan accounts for roughly 2% of global daily oil supply, according to Reuters.
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