Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan plan to increase the volume of Kazakh crude oil transported via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced these supply expansion plans at the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku.
Sea-news.az reports that Kazakhstan intends to boost its oil exports across the Caspian Sea.
Growing Role of the Caspian Sea in Energy Security
The Head of State emphasized the growing importance of the Caspian Sea in ensuring the energy security of the region and global markets. According to him, cooperation among Caspian littoral states should serve not only to develop transport and energy routes, but also to maintain stability in the region.
Tokayev stated that the Caspian Sea is of vital importance in terms of ensuring energy security both for the region and the world as a whole. Kazakhstan supports keeping the Caspian Sea a zone of peace and cooperation for the well-being of regional states and other nations. He also noted the importance of joint efforts to protect water resources and the ecological environment.
How Much Oil Was Shipped from the Port of Aktau?
According to “KazTransOil,” between January and September 2026, 1.164 million tons of Kazakh oil were shipped from the Port of Aktau for onward transit through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline. This figure represents a 24% increase compared to the corresponding period of 2025.
Thus, growth is being observed in oil supplies along the Caspian route. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan intend to continue developing this export corridor.
How Does the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan Route Operate?
The transport of Kazakh oil along this route begins with maritime shipping across the Caspian Sea. After the oil is delivered from the Port of Aktau to Azerbaijan, it is transported via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline to the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye.
According to data, the total volume of oil exports via the BTC pipeline is approximately 500,000 to 600,000 barrels per day. Note that this figure encompasses not only Kazakh oil, but all oil volumes transported through the pipeline.
