Operations
In 2008, CPC transported 31.5 million tons of crude, down from 32.6 million tonnes in 2007. In the first three months of 2009, the pipeline transported 8.7 million tonnes of oil.[14]
From 2001 to April 31, 2020, through the Tengiz-Novorossiysk pipeline system 662,784,671 tons of net oil were delivered to world markets. Of this amount, 582 814 809 tons is oil from Kazakhstan and 85 295 642 tons is oil produced in Russia. The total number of tankers processed during this period was 6,287.[15]
In March 2022, two of the three pipeline connected ship berths at the Port of Novorossiysk suffered storm damage. Repairs may take two months, with exports falling by up to 1 million barrels per day.[13]
On 6 July 2022, a Russian court ordered the suspension of the pipeline for 30 days over oil spills. The CPC appealed the ruling and the suspension was lifted on 11 July of the following week, and the CPC was instead fined 200,000 rubles (US$3,300).[1] Despite the July 6 ruling, the operator of Kazakhstan's Tengiz oil field, Tengizchevroil, said that the transfer of oil through the CPC had not been interrupted since immediate suspension of the pipeline was technically impossible and would have resulted in "irreversible consequences".[1]
The CPC pipeline handles almost all of Kazakhstan's oil exports, which makes the country oil supply routes heavily dependent on Russia. In addition, about 15% of the rest of Kazakhstan's oil exports are also transferred through Russia[2] (while about 5% is sent to China or to various other destinations over rail and the Caspian Sea[2]). After the 6 July suspension of the pipeline, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered the government of his country to diversify its oil supply routes.
In November 2024 the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and 26 media partners published the report "Caspian Cabals" to put public interests on environmental damage, but also to allegations of financial corruption and geopolitical threats.[16]
As part of a new sanctions package against Russia imposed on 10 January 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury granted exemptions for oilfield services related to the CPC.[17]
