Kazakhstan will have to buy fuel and lubricants in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan due to increased Russian fuel supplies to Crimea

Astana. September 16. Silkroadnews - Kazakhstan will have to purchase fuel and lubricants from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan due to the increased supply of Russian fuel to Crimea. This was stated by First Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Uzakbai Karabalin. transmits KazTAG.
"Russia now has a difficult situation due to the accident occurred at the Achinsk refinery, which just may go to a working state. In addition, several factories in Russia now reached the autumn scheduled repairs. And it turns out that part of the Russian volumes that were previously on the balance, this year will be departed to additional regions of Russia, I mean to the Crimea", - said U. Karabalin at a briefing on Tuesday.
He recalled that Kazakhstan annually imports about a third of totally consumed high-octane gasoline from Russia, while the modernization of three Kazakh oil refineries, which will fully provide the country with fuel, will be completed only in 2016.
"We plan to produce in our factories around 250 thousand tons of gasoline a month, factories work hard, they are fully loaded, and we expect the production of AI-92, in amount of 186 thousand tons. The need of the market is 280 thousand tons, but, as you know, we were always importing one-third from Russia", - said the deputy minister.
U. Karabalin reminded of the continuing difference in prices between Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation.
According to him, while AI- 92 in Kazakhstan is 128 tenge / liter, its retail cost in Russia is 160 tenge / liter.  Diesel in Kazakhstan is 115 tenge/ liter, in the Russian Federation - 170-172 tenge/liter.
In this regard, the Vice-Minister informed that "KazMunaiGas" JSC is currently looking for new suppliers of petroleum products to ensure the needs of Kazakhstan.
"In order to provide the market with lubricants most popular gasoline - AI- 92 and diesel fuel, it was decided to entrust the "KazMunaiGas" as a national company to deliver at a their loss for the Kazakhstan market fuel. Negotiations were held with many companies and today are contracted and reached an agreement on the import of 69 thousand tons of gasoline. Of these volumes to date we have imported - 9.6 thousand tons, 9.7 tons is shipped and on the way is 200 tons",- he said.
"At the same time, there is a lot of tension - even contracted volumes, we may not receive. Therefore, "KazMunaiGas" negotiates with other companies. Now we are discussing the possibility of delivery of fuel from the Azerbaijani company SOCAR. Also consider the possibility of imports from Turkmenistan, and yet, we will not cover the entire deficit",- said U. Karabalin.
At the briefing, Deputy Minister on August 27, reported that the retail price of AI-92 is 159 tenge/ liter in Russia, 176 tenge / liter in Belarus 231,4 tenge / liter in Ukraine, 150 tenge/ liter in Uzbekistan 206,8 tenge / liter in Armenia 219,6 tenge/ liter in Georgia and 140 tenge/ liter in Azerbaijan compared to 128 tenge/ liter in Kazakhstan.
In this case, the retail price of diesel fuel is 173 tenge/ liter in Russia, 194 tenge/ liter in Belarus 226,7 tenge/ liter in Ukraine 143,5 tenge/ liter in Uzbekistan, 211,2 tenge/ liter in Armenia 236,3 tenge/ liter in Georgia and 93,4 tenge/ liter in Azerbaijan compared to 115 tenge/ liter in Kazakhstan.