Kazakhstan has restarted crude oil exports through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline after a one-month interruption caused by technical issues. According to state-owned oil company KazMunayGas, a shipment of 8,800 tonnes from the Kashagan field was loaded at the port of Aktau on September 13, bound for Baku, marking the official resumption of flows.
A contamination incident swiftly resolved
Exports were suspended in August after contaminants were detected in crude designated for BTC transit. The incident forced Kazakh authorities to reroute some volumes through alternative corridors. KazMunayGas confirmed that the issues had been identified and resolved, enabling the gradual restart of shipments to Turkey. A second cargo is scheduled for September 20.
The crude is transported by tanker across the Caspian Sea to Baku, where it enters the BTC system en route to the Mediterranean terminal of Ceyhan. The disruption highlighted the operational sensitivity of this alternative route, which is used to bypass the network controlled by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which is linked to Russia.
Alternative flows remain under development
Between January and August 2025, Kazakhstan exported 0.9 million tonnes via the BTC pipeline. Despite a 19.4% decline in overall BTC volumes over the same period, shipments from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan now account for 15.7% of the pipeline’s throughput.
The route’s development is based on a 2022 agreement between KazMunayGas and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), aimed at stabilising transit volumes. Although the flows remain limited compared to CPC’s capacity of 1.3 million barrels per day, the BTC corridor offers a technically viable option during outages or issues on other infrastructure.
Capacity and reliability at the centre of regional talks
As part of its strategy to secure exports, Kazakhstan is also holding discussions with its trans-Caspian partners to enhance railway and maritime capacity. Logistics upgrades could improve the reliability of non-Russian routes by 2026, reducing risks associated with single-infrastructure dependence or politically sensitive areas.
Operational conditions at the Aktau port and the consistent functionality of the BTC system remain critical to maintaining shipment continuity. The swift restoration of operations following the August incident highlights the priority placed on maintenance along this strategic corridor.
