Rosneft to transit crude to China across Kazakhstan

Russia and Kazakhstan have signed a preliminary agreement to transport crude across Kazakhstan to China and a transit guarantee, Tengrinews reports citing RIA Novosti.

The agreement was signed by Chairman of Russia’s Rosneft Board Igor Sechin, Head of KazMunaiGas Sauat Mynbayev and Head of KazTransOil Kairgeldy Kabyldin.

Earlier a source in the Russian delegation told Russia’s Prime Agency that Rosneft and KazMunaiGas were thinking of signing some documents related to mutual oil supplies. He elaborated that some documents were being drafted at the interstate level to make sure the scheme is viable.

Late October Russia’s Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said that Rosneft was negotiating oil transits across Kazakhstan to China via the Kazakh-Chinese Atasu-Alashankow pipeline. He elaborated that Rosneft was thinking of sending 7 million tons of crude to China, relying on the swap scheme.