Kazakhstan to resume oil exports to China in March

AKIPRESS.COM - Kazakhstan's energy ministry Nurlan Nogayev said on Wednesday the country would resume exports of its oil to China in March after they were suspended in January due to a high content of organic chloride, Reuters said.
Kazakhstan suspended the exports to China after contamination was found in crude supplied by a Kazakh producer months after a dirty oil crisis broke in neighbouring Russia. Russian transit was not affected.
The Kazakh ministry did not disclose how much oil would be exported to China.
"Export volumes of Kazakh oil in the direction of China will be determined depending on the (domestic) delivery of oil and the needs of the domestic market," the ministry told Reuters.
According to a source familiar with export plans, Kazakhstan's March oil deliveries to China could reach about 20,000 tonnes, including supply of raw materials by CNPC Aktobemunaigas, a Kazakh subsidiary of Chinese energy group CNPC.