Russia seeks to halt transit of Kazakh oil to Germany via Druzhba pipeline – Reuters

Russia plans to suspend the transit of Kazakh oil to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline from 1 May.

Source: Reuters, citing its own sources.

Details: According to the sources, a revised oil export schedule has been sent to Kazakhstan and Germany.

The deliveries concern Kazakh oil transported via the northern branch of the pipeline, which runs through Poland.

The main recipient of this crude is the PCK refinery in the town of Schwedt, one of the largest in Germany. The facility switched to Kazakh oil after Berlin abandoned imports of Russian crude.

Kazakhstan has been supplying oil to this refinery since 2023. Meanwhile, deliveries have been repeatedly disrupted due to drone attacks on Russian pipeline infrastructure.

The Polish pipeline operator PERN has stated that it is ready to ensure alternative oil supplies for the non-Russian shareholders of PCK via the port of Gdańsk.

Exports of Kazakh oil to Germany via the Russian Druzhba pipeline in 2025 amounted to around 43,000 barrels per day, which is 44% higher than in 2024.

Background: Russia expects to sell natural gas to China over the coming years at a price roughly one-third lower than in Europe, meaning that its pivot to Asia has not fully compensated for the loss of most Western markets.

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