Kazakhstan Energy Ministry: 'Tankers have been idle in Turkish straits for 6th day'

Tankers with millions of barrels of Kazakh oil are stuck off the coast of Turkiye, the Energy Ministry of Kazakhstan said, Report informs via Kazakh media.

“As of today, waiting time in the Bosporus and Dardanelles has been six days. For the winter season, this is normal; last year, in December, it was about 14 days,” the ministry said.

Also, the Ministry of Energy added that details regarding insurance letters are now being clarified.

Earlier, Western media reported that tankers carrying millions of barrels of Kazakh oil could not leave the Black Sea and reach world markets. The reason for the accumulation of ships off the coast of Turkiye is that from December 5, carriers must confirm that it is not Russian oil on board the tanker. The Turkish authorities insist that carriers have a letter from the insurance company.

Western sanctions came into force on December 5: the European Union stopped accepting Russian oil transported by sea. In addition, the G7 countries, Australia and the EU imposed a price cap of $60 per barrel.