DUSHANBE, August 14, 2012, Asia-Plus – Over the first seven months of this year, Tajikistan has imported 201,900 tons of oil products, which is 80,000 tons fewer than in the same period of last year,, an official source a the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI) said.
According to him, a 38 percent fall in oil product imports has resulted from increase in liquefied gas imports.
Over the report period, Tajikistan has imported 89,300 tons of gasoline, 63,000 tons of diesel fuel, 29,000 tons of aviation kerosene, 5,300 tons of fuel oil, 7,000 tons of bitumen, and 6,900 tons of engine oil.
Russia still provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s fuel imports. However, its share in Tajikistan’s fuel imports has fallen from 83.9 percent in 2011 to 59.5 percent this year. Over the first seven months of this Tajikistan imported 119,900 tons of fuel oil from the Russian Federation.
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan’s share in Tajikistan’s fuel imports has increased – from 11.3 percent in 2011 to 21.7 percent this year. In January-July this year, Tajikistan has imported 43,800 tons of fuels from Turkmenistan.
Kyrgyzstan is in the third place in terms of Tajikistan’s fuel imports – 15,000 tons of oil products have been delivered to Tajikistan from Kyrgyzstan over the same seven-month period (7.9 percent of Tajikistan’s fuel market).
Kazakhstan has accounted for 4.8 percent of Tajikistan’s fuel imports over the report period – 9,600 tons.
Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Belarus are also among countries supplying oil products to Tajikistan.
An average price of oil products rose 18 percent in seven months to August 1, 2012, reaching 1,144 U.S. dollars, the source said.
The price of one ton of gasoline (to the border of Tajikistan) now amounts to 1,155 U.S. dollars, which 255 U.S. dollars higher than last year; the price of one ton of diesel fuel is US$1,061 (a US$134 increase); and the price of one ton of aviation kerosene is US$1,341 (a US$215 increase).
In the meantime, liquefied gas imports have risen 88 percent in seven months to August 1, 2012. 43,900 tons of liquefied gas has been delivered to the country in January-July this year, 20,500 tons or 88 percent more than in the same period last year.
Kazakhstan provides the bulk of Tajikistan liquefied gas imports. Current price of one liter of liquefied gas in Dushanbe is 2.30 somoni.