Kazakhstan increased oil transportation to China through the Atasu–Alashankou pipeline to 2.85mn tons in January–March 2026, up by 129,000 tons compared to the same period last year, according to KazTransOil.
Of the total volume, 345,000 tons accounted for Kazakhstan’s own oil exports, marking an increase of 106,000 tons year-on-year. The remaining share consisted of transit oil supplied from Russia.
As a result, transit volumes of Russian oil through Kazakhstan to China rose by approximately 0.9% in the first quarter, reaching around 2.5mn tons.
Monthly data shows that 1.02mn tons of oil were transported in January, including 863,000 tons of transit supplies, while February volumes reached 878,000 tons.
Despite the quarterly increase, total oil transportation through the pipeline declined by 1% in 2025, with annual volumes totaling 11.09mn tons.
Kazakhstan and Russia are currently in talks to increase transit capacity, with discussions focused on raising annual volumes from 10mn tons to 12.5mn tons.
The Atasu–Alashankou pipeline, launched in 2005, is the first section of the Kazakhstan–China transnational pipeline and a key component of regional energy infrastructure, enabling stable supplies of both Kazakh and transit oil to western regions of China.
Broader data from KazTransOil shows that total oil transportation and transshipment reached 11.947mn tons in Q1 2026, up by 705,000 tons year-on-year, while oil transported through its main pipeline system alone rose to 11.744mn tons, an increase of 833,000 tons.
Domestic supply also remained significant, with 4.412mn tons of oil delivered to Kazakhstan’s refineries, including facilities in Atyrau, Pavlodar, and Shymkent, reflecting steady internal demand.
In addition, shipments through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system rose to 1.331mn tons, up by 427,000 tons year-on-year, while tanker loading at the port of Aktau reached 853,000 tons, including 346,000 tons transported via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan route.
Earlier, the United States had extended a license allowing the transit of Russian oil through Kazakhstan to China until March 2027, maintaining flows under sanctions exemptions and supporting continued regional energy trade.
