Tajikistan increases import of oil products from Russia by 14% in 1H24

Tajikistan has reported an increase in imports of oil products from Russia, with an increase of over 14% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources shared these details in preparation for a press conference by Minister Daler Juma.

According to the Ministry’s data, in the first six months of 2024, Tajikistan imported 65.6 thousand tons more of oil products from Russia, which is an increase of 14.3% compared to the previous year. This amount represents 54% of the indicative balance plan established for the period.

The distribution of imported petroleum products is as follows:

• Petrol: 236.6 thousand tons
• Diesel fuel: 223.2 thousand tons
• Jet fuel: 22.7 thousand tons
• Fuel: 62 thousand tons
• Bitumen: 27.9 thousand tons
• Lubricants: 5.4 thousand tons
• Liquid gas: 8.2 thousand tons

In total, Tajikistan received 524.2 thousand tons of oil products and liquefied gas from Russia.

Increase in natural gas supply from Uzbekistan

In addition to the increase in oil product imports, Tajikistan has also increased its natural gas supplies from neighboring Uzbekistan by more than 50%. In the first half of 2024, Uzbekistan supplied 156.5 million cubic meters of natural gas to Tajikistan, an increase of 57.6 million cubic meters compared to the same period last year.

Economic context and delivery agreements

Minister Daler Juma had previously indicated that Tajikistan had agreed with Russia on an indicative balance of deliveries of 970 thousand tons for 2024. He stressed that these volumes are strictly adhered to and that imports are expected to increase due to economic growth in Tajikistan. The country’s GDP grew by 8.3% in 2023, which contributed to the increased demand for energy resources.

Tajikistan and Russia have an intergovernmental agreement on the supply of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, fuel oil and bitumen mixtures. This agreement includes annual negotiations on indicative balances consistent with the growth of the Tajik economy.

Tajikistan produces limited amounts of oil and gas domestically. The country relies mainly on imports for its energy needs:

• Natural gas: Purchased from Uzbekistan for industrial purposes.
• Liquid gas: Imported from Kazakhstan.

In the first half of 2024, Tajikistan imported a total of 783.8 thousand tons of oil products and liquefied gas, an increase of 10.3% or 73.5 thousand tons more than in the first half of 2023.