The OPEC+ member producer is considering building another petroleum pipeline from Atyrau to Kurik in the medium term, Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry.

According to the Interfax report, the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan added that the possibility of building a petroleum pipeline from the bottom of the Caspian Sea will also be investigated.

Kazakhstan can also increase petroleum shipments from the Caspian Sea to match the capacity of the Aktau port, the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan announced.

Kazakhstan has increased its crude oil exports last year and expects to continue increasing its exports in 2024.

The majority of Kazakhstan’s crude oil exports are currently handled by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) network. The CPC pipeline runs from the Caspian coast in northwestern Kazakhstan to the port of Novorossiysk on Russia’s Black Sea coast and carries 80 percent of Kazakhstan’s crude oil exports.

Since the beginning of this year, Kazakhstan has been producing petroleum above its production quota under the OPEC+ agreement. This country has repeatedly said that it is committed to complying with its obligations and compensating for the previous production surplus.

The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan announced at the beginning of this week that in March, Kazakhstan produced 131,000 barrels of petroleum per day above its OPEC+ quota, and the country will do its best to fulfill its obligations and compensate for the surplus production of the first quarter.