Kazakhstan Extends Petroleum Export Ban Six Months as Hormuz Tensions Flare
China Tightens Its Grip on Namibia's Next Energy Boom Colombia's declining natural gas production,… Eurasianet is an independent news organization that covers news from and about the South Caucasus and Central Asia, providing on-the-ground reporting and critical perspectives on… Kazakhstan is growing more possessive of its petroleum products as a gasoline shortage tightens its grip in Russia and the US-Iran conflict reignites.
Kazakh officials have established new police checkpoints on almost 60 roads along the country’s lengthy border with Russia to curb ‘gasoline tourism,’ according to local newsreports.In addition, new restrictions have been introduced at border checkpoints, limiting trucks and cars to one crossing per day.
In recent weeks, as gasoline shortages have spread across Russia caused bywidespread Ukrainian drone attackson energy infrastructure, Russian vehicles have flooded across the border to obtain fuel and even illicitly import small quantities back to Russia.
TheTengrinews agency reported that lines were appearing at gas stations in northern Kazakh regions, including West Kazakhstan, Aktobe and Pavlodar.
The price of a liter of high-octane gas in Russia is presently about 40 percent higher than in Kazakhstan and climbing.
“The main work is now underway to identify cars with additional fuel tanks that are used for the ‘gray’ export of fuel,” Tengri quoted Deputy Energy Minister Kayirkhan Tutkyshbayev as saying.
On July 4, Kazakh officials announced theyhad broken up dozensof would-be smuggling operations, pegging the total volume of intercepted gas at three tons.
On July 7, Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry announced that it intends to extend a ban on the export of petroleum products, including gasoline and diesel, to May 22 of next year, a six-month extension of an already existing no-export order.
The ban even applies to Kazakhstan’s fellow members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), an entity that ensures free trade on paper but whichhas never lived up tothe provisions outlined in its treaty.
Kazakh officials have said they could make exceptions to the export ban in such cases as “humanitarian aid and supplies carried out by decisions of the government,” according to thewordingof a draft decree.
Kyrgyzstan, which is also a full member of the EAEU, has reportedly requested that Astana waive the ban and provide an unspecified amount of petroleum products.
Tutkyshbayev, the deputy Kazakh energy minister, indicated that the government was considering the request.
| Product | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Crude | $102.14/bbl | +0.34% |
| WTI Crude | $96.90/bbl | +0.21% |
| EN590 Diesel | $846/MT | +0.18% |
| Jet Fuel A-1 | $1090/MT | +0.55% |
| Mazut M100 | $450/MT | -0.15% |
| Bitumen 60/70 | $470/MT | +0.08% |
| Sulphur Gran 99.5% | $470/MT | -0.44% |
| Urea 46% Gran | $650/MT | +1.12% |
| NPK 16-16-16 | $460/MT | -0.28% |
| Nat Gas TTF | $15.42/MMBtu | +0.92% |
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