Central Asian refining suffers under competing powers
Mongolia hopes to launch its first refinery within two years as it seeks to free itself from Russian dependence, while a similar plant in Tajikistan remains inactive six years after its completion
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia all grapple with a lack of fuel supply security. They depend heavily on petroleum product imports from Russia, which Moscow has demonstrated in the past it is willing to exploit as a political lever. The three Central Asian countries have sought to address this vulnerability for many years, yet they still cannot produce nearly enough gasoline, diesel and other fuels to meet their needs. New refining projects have faced lengthy delays, while those plants that have been built struggle to secure oil supply and compete with imported fuels. In Tajikistan, a large refinery completed with Chinese support more than six years ago has yet to yield a single barrel of
Also in this section
3 December 2024
Papua New Guinea’s LNG sector appears to be back on track, with other projects in the pipeline
2 December 2024
Crucial role of gas means country is laying the foundations to control physical and trading supply chains
30 November 2024
Decades of turmoil have left Iraq’s vast energy potential underutilised, but renewed investment and strategic reforms are transforming it into a key player in the region
29 November 2024
Although Iraq remains a major crude exporter, it is still some way from becoming a regional energy supply hub. Ambitious new cross-border schemes aim to rectify that situation