Kazakhstan has limited import of diesel fuel from Russia and from June 20, 2014 has banned its import for all the buyers, except KazMunaiGas Onimderi state company, reported Reuters.
Thus, the Kazakhstan government is going to control the diesel fuel deliveries into the country to avoid possible shortage of this product during repair of the biggest oil refinery in the country Pavlodar, said the traders.
The Russian low-octane A-80 petrol is also included into the list.
In order to avoid the shortage, the Kazakhstan government has obliged the only operator – KazMunaiGas Onimderi – to increase diesel fuel purchase in Russia from the earlier planned 35,000 tons up to 40,000 tons in June, while the schedule of Russian diesel fuel deliveries was increased by 28,000 tons up to 378,000 tons till the end of the year.
From May 2104 Kazakhstan fixed quota of Russian petrol import, but the diesel fuel import was not limited.
In January 2014 the Kazakhstan Ministry of Oil and Gas said that it considers the possibility of limitation of Russian petrol import this year.
In 2014 Kazakhstan plans to import 1,069,000 tons of petrol and 600,000-650,000 tons of diesel fuel mainly from Russia.
In 2014 the country plans to produce 2.9 million tons of petrol and consume 4.2 million tons.
Kazakhstan has three big oil refineries – Atyrau, Shimkent and Pavlodar, but their production do not cover the local demand and Kazakhstan is forced to import fuel from Russia.
