Uzbekistan considers importing oil products from Azerbaijan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan is considering participating as a partner in a project to construct a new oil refinery in Azerbaijan, with plans to subsequently supply a portion of its output to the Uzbek market, Uzbekistan's Minister of Energy Sherzod Khodjayev stated in an interview with the "Uzbekistan 24" TV channel.

According to the minister, the proposal involves Uzbekistan joining the new refinery project in Azerbaijan as a partner. It is expected that part of the petroleum products manufactured at the facility will be delivered to Uzbekistan.

Khodjayev noted that such cooperation could help ensure stable supplies of petroleum products to the domestic market. At the same time, he said, the possibility of producing products at Uzbekistan's existing oil refineries is also under consideration.

Earlier reports indicated that Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are exploring opportunities to organize long-term supplies of crude oil and petroleum products, as well as joint processing of hydrocarbon raw materials.

The need to expand fuel supply sources is linked to ongoing demand for petroleum products in Uzbekistan. According to official statistics, in January–June 2026, imports of oil and petroleum products in value terms increased by 8.1% compared to the same period last year, reaching US$1.11 billion.

Meanwhile, imports of motor gasoline in the first six months of the year rose 1.78 times to US$409.5 million. Conversely, diesel fuel supplies fell by 12% to US$228.9 million. Official statistics do not disclose the countries of origin for imported fuel or physical volume figures.

The total capacity of Uzbekistan's oil refineries is estimated at approximately 10 million tonnes per year, though existing facilities are operating below full capacity.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has repeatedly experienced shortages of gasoline and other petroleum products, while domestic crude oil production continues to decline. According to official data, domestic oil production in Uzbekistan decreased by 8% in 2025 to 655,700 tonnes.

Motor gasoline production also dropped last year, falling 6.8% to 1.2 million tonnes. Against this backdrop, cooperation with Azerbaijan is viewed as one avenue to expand capabilities for supplying the Uzbek petroleum products market.