Overview
- Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow may extend intergovernmental arrangements that route Russian crude to China via Kazakhstan by 10 years to 2033.
- The proposal was presented at a Russian‑Chinese business forum in Beijing, underscoring plans to deepen energy trade.
- Reuters data cited in the remarks put current Chinese intake of Russian crude at roughly 1.4 million barrels per day by sea plus about 900,000 barrels per day by pipeline through Kazakhstan.
- Novak said Russia now supplies over 20% of China's total oil imports, reinforcing its role as Beijing's top crude source.
- Kazakhstan previously studied boosting capacity on the Atasu‑Alashankou pipeline, but 2024 flows on the route were flat as seaborne shipments proved easier to expand.