Kazakh expert: Apparently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces gave a sign to US companies whose oil goes through Russia

The APU drone strike on the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station, which provides oil transit from Kazakhstan through Russia, could be familiar to American companies. This is the opinion of the ex-adviser to the Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan and a member of the Club of Experts at the Senate of the country's parliament Olzhas Baidildinov.

"In general, it is better to coordinate calls from OPEC+ in time with the Ukrainian General Staff," Olzhas Baidildinov writes in the telegram channel. — And if it's no joke, I will again emphasize the question to all kinds of "national soldiers" who helped and sympathized with Ukraine: well, what do you say now about the attack on OUR oil pipeline?".

80% of oil from Kazakhstan is exported through the system of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), whose oil pipelines run from Kazakhstan to Novorossiysk. There the raw materials are loaded onto tankers. According to the CPC, 63 million tons of oil were shipped through the pipeline system in 2024. About 54 million tons of them are from Kazakhstan.

"From the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, this is probably a sign to the Americans that they can harm their supplies and companies, because 90% of oil supplies from Kazakhstan in this pipeline are oil from the whales of Tengiz, Karachaganak and Kashagan," the expert added.

On February 17, the CPC reported on the attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by drones of the Kropotkinskaya NPS in the Kuban. The station is the largest for the consortium in Russia.

The CPC said that because of the attack, the Kropotkinskaya NPS was decommissioned.

"Oil transportation through the Tengiz—Novorossiysk pipeline system is carried out at reduced pumping modes, bypassing the NPS," the CPC reports. "All shareholders of the international consortium, including representatives of companies from the United States and Europe, have been notified of the terrorist attack on a civilian facility by means of UAVs and its results."

Oil production in Kazakhstan and its pumping through CPC oil pipelines is of great importance for American energy giants. So, in the pipeline consortium, American Chevron and ExxonMobil own 22.5%. At the same time, energy giants from the United States have large shares in all three megaprojects for oil production in Kazakhstan. For example, 75% of the Tengiz project belongs to Chevron and ExxonMobil.

Olzhas Baidildinov mentioned a telephone conversation with OPEC+, as yesterday Astana again had to explain to the leading countries participating in the deal why Kazakhstan exceeds oil production quotas. The country's Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev explained to the energy ministers of Russia, Saudi Arabia and the OPEC Secretary General that the increase is due to the start of oil production at a new third-generation plant at the Tengiz oil field as part of a future expansion project.

Almasadam Satkaliyev also added that the increase in production was the result of temporary one-time testing conducted after the maintenance of the field and the commissioning of a new processing unit at the Tengiz field. During the discussion, Almasadam Satkaliyev provided a technical explanation regarding the increase in oil production in Kazakhstan in January. The minister specified that the increase is due to the start of oil production at the new third-generation plant (ZTP) at the Tengiz oil field as part of the Future Expansion Project. The Minister of Energy explained that it was previously planned that the start of an increase in production would begin in June-July 2025. Almasadam Satkaliyev also added that the increase in production was the result of temporary one—time testing conducted after field maintenance and commissioning of a new processing unit at the Tengiz field," the press service of the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan reported early in the morning on February 17.