Inpex North Caspian Sea, a subsidiary of Japanese energy company Inpex Corporation, has shipped its first cargo of Kazakh oil to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline. This marks the second Kazakhstani firm to utilize the route for European deliveries.

As reported by Caspian News on Saturday, June 1, the shipment was confirmed by sources familiar with Russian Energy Ministry data and reported by Russian newspaper Vedomosti. 

The move follows a December 2022 transit agreement between Kazakh oil pipeline operator KazTransOil and Russia's Transneft, allowing Kazakhstan to export energy supplies to Germany in February 2023.

Inpex, which holds a 7.56% stake in the Kashagan oil field, sent roughly 20,000 tons of oil to Germany. The Druzhba pipeline, one of the world's longest, played a crucial role in Kazakhstan's emergence as a key European oil supplier since Russia invaded Ukraine prompting sanctions by the European Union.

Due to sanctions, Germany has stopped importing Russian oil through the pipeline since early 2023. The EU aims to reduce reliance on Russian energy through conservation efforts, exploration of alternative sources, and acceleration of renewable energy adoption.

Kazakhstan, the world's ninth-largest crude oil exporter increased oil exports via Druzhba to fill a gap left by the embargo, making it a vital player for the EU's oil needs.

As the third-largest oil producer in the Caspian region and a major non-OPEC supplier to the EU, Kazakhstan already exports 67 million tons of oil annually to Europe, primarily through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) to Novorossiysk, Russia.