MOSCOW, Oct 13 (Reuters) – Moscow and Baku are
discussing the possibility of Russian oil supplies to Azerbaijan
via the Baku-Tikhoretsk oil pipeline in reverse mode, the
Russian government announced late on Thursday.
Russia could potentially supply to Azerbaijan up to 4
million metric tons of crude per year, Russia’s Deputy Prime
Minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying by Russian news
agencies.
Moscow’s proposal may allow Azerbaijan to feed domestic oil
refineries and free up own crude oil to boost exports. Russia
may get an availability to sell oil bypassing sanctions
limitations but would partially cut oil flows via the Caspian
port of Makhachkala and the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
Kazakh oil exports through the Caspian Sea to Russia’s port
of Makhachkala for delivery to Novorossiisk are relatively
small. Kazakh oil suplies from Aktau to Makhachkala in 2022 fell
by 40.6% year-on-year to 2.259 million metric tons after
Kazakhstan boosted oil exports from Aktau to Azerbaijan’s Baku.
Azerbaijan also used to deliver its Azeri Light crude to
global markets via the Baku-Tikhoretsk-Novorossiisk pipeline. In
2021 transit volumes totalled some 1.1 million metric tons, but
supplies were suspended in 2022.
(Reporting by Reuters,
Editing by Louise Heavens)