ALMATY – Kazakhstan exported 730,000 tons of oil to Germany in the first quarter of 2026 before transit via the Druzhba pipeline was suspended on May 1 due to technical limitations on Russian territory, according to the national pipeline operator KazTransOil.
Oil drilling and pipelines. Photo credit: Gary Kavanagh / Getty Images
The halt disrupted supplies to the PCK Refinery, one of Germany’s key oil processing facilities, reported the Kazinform news agency on May 4.
According to the KazTransOil’s statement, shipments to Germany increased compared to the previous year. In total, Kazakhstan supplied 2.146 million tons of oil to Germany in 2025.
“In the first quarter of 2026, exports reached 730,000 tons, up by 353,000 tons compared to the same period in 2025,” reads the statement of Deputy Director General for Production Nurzhan Kushzhanov.
According to the Kazinform news agency, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan said it had not received official notification from the Russian side regarding the suspension or rerouting of Kazakh oil supplies. However, according to unofficial information cited by the ministry, transit along the Atyrau–Samara–Druzhba route has been unavailable since May 1 due to technical constraints.
Exports are expected to resume once the limitations are resolved.
Strategic importance of Druzhba route
Kazakhstan exports nearly 3 million tons of oil annually through the Druzhba system out of its total production of roughly 80 million tons.
The supplies are transported via the northern branch of the pipeline through Russia and Poland and typically cover about 20–30% of the demand of the Schwedt refinery.
Following the disruption, Kazakhstan has begun redirecting part of its oil exports through alternative routes. A total of 260,000 tons is being rerouted, including 100,000 tons to the Port of Ust-Luga and 160,000 tons through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system.
Kazakh Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov confirmed on April 22 that transit via the Druzhba pipeline had been halted. The suspension was also acknowledged by Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs on April 23.
