Kazakhstan, Central Asia's largest oil producer and exporter, aims to export about 79 million tonnes of crude next year from output of 99 million tonnes, energy minister Erlan Akkenzhenov told Reuters on Thursday.
Kazakhstan's oil sector is heavily reliant on export routes through Russia and has been increasingly affected by disruptions linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which have constrained export capacity and at times forced producers to curb output.
Restrictions on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) route, the main outlet for Kazakh crude, and the suspension of exports to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline have prompted companies to seek alternative routes.
Akkenzhenov said Kazakhstan is in talks with Azerbaijan about increasing shipments through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline system, although progress depends on concerns in Azerbaijan about the impact of Kazakh grades on the quality of the BTC blend.
"We expect shipments via BTC to reach around 1.6 million tonnes this year, against a plan of 1.5 million. We would like to increase that to 2.2 million tonnes, but the decision does not depend on us," Akkenzhenov said.
Kazakh crude is shipped by tanker from Aktau to Baku, mainly from the Tengiz and Kashagan fields, before being transported to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.
Kazakhstan cut its 2026 oil production target to 96 million tonnes from 98 million, citing operational disruptions at oilfields and export constraints on the CPC route.
Exports are expected to total about 77 million tonnes.
Following problems at the giant Tengiz field, authorities postponed planned maintenance at Kashagan from 2026 to 2027.
Akkenzhenov said no maintenance programme for 2027 had yet been submitted or approved.
Kazakhstan remains committed to the OPEC+ agreement despite producing above its quota, Akkenzhenov said, adding that the government must also act in the country's national interests.
He said much of the excess output came from gas condensate production, which is not fully counted under OPEC+ limits.
"At current oil prices, I think the world needs additional volumes," Akkenzhenov said.
(Reporting by Tamara Vaal; Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Kirsten Donovan)