Three industry sources told Reuters that a revised oil export schedule has been sent to both Kazakhstan and Germany.
A disruption in Kazakh supplies would further exacerbate Germany's fuel supply uncertainty, as conflict in Iran hampers energy shipments from the Middle East just years after Berlin's decades-long energy ties with Russia were severed by the war in Ukraine.
In 2025, Kazakh oil exports to Germany via Russia's Druzhba pipeline totaled 2.146 million tons, or approximately 43,000 barrels per day - a 44% increase compared to 2024 - and reached 730,000 tons in the first quarter of 2026.
A total shutdown would eliminate approximately 17% of the 12 million tons of oil processed annually by Germany's PCK refinery. Located in the northeastern city of Schwedt, it is one of the country's largest refineries, supplying fuel for 9 out of 10 cars in the Berlin and Brandenburg region.
The Russian Energy Ministry has not yet responded to a request for comment. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated he was unaware of any initiative aimed at halting oil exports.
"We will try to verify this," Peskov told reporters during a daily press briefing.
The Kazakh Energy Ministry and the German government have not yet responded to requests for comment.
ENERGY RELATIONS IN CRISIS
Political and trade relations between Russia and Germany have been frayed by the conflict in Ukraine. Russian crude deliveries were halted after the war began, and in 2022, Berlin placed the local units of Russia's largest oil producer, Rosneft, under trusteeship.
Since 2023, Kazakhstan has supplied oil to PCK via the northern branch of the Druzhba, which crosses Poland, but supplies have been repeatedly interrupted by Ukrainian drone strikes on the Russian section of the pipeline.
A spokesperson for the Polish pipeline operator, Pern, told Reuters that the company is ready to ship oil for PCK's non-Russian shareholders via the port of Gdansk if requested. Owners of the Schwedt refinery include Rosneft, Shell, and Eni.
(Translated by Jasmine Mazzarello, editing by Stefano Bernabei)
