Alternative Routes for Deliveries of Kazakh Crude Oil Shipments to the European Union

Abstract

The situation with crude oil shipments from Kazakhstan to the European Union has seriously deteriorated since 24 February 2022 when Russia started its invasion of Ukraine. A series of different incidents, which complicated these deliveries, started soon after the beginning of the invasion and this has again brought to light the need to diversify the export routes for the Kazakh crude oil. In spite of numerous previous appeals, the dependence on the transit via the Russian territory only increased over the last years. This paper analyses the reasons for this increased dependence, considers the alternative routes and their attending circumstances and attempts to suggest potential ways out of this situation. Considering this topic, it is essential to mention that Kazakhstan is among the five top suppliers of crude oil to the European Union, and, at the same time, the European Union is the biggest importer of Kazakh crude oil.