Uzbekneftegaz is in talks with Chinese companies on supplies of gasoline rated 92 octane and higher and diesel fuel, as well as larger imports of crude oil and gas condensate for processing at the Bukhara oil refinery. Farid Muminov, deputy chairman of the company’s management board, said so at a news conference on Oct. 27.
The company is looking at new fuel purchasing channels to reduce dependence on existing supply routes and keep the domestic market stably supplied, he said.
“There are various risks today to the stable supply of petroleum products to the public. To eliminate these risks and prevent them from arising, we are considering diversifying imports,” Muminov said.
He said the talks include PetroChina, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
“We held talks with PetroChina. We discussed supplies of petroleum products, gasoline and diesel fuel, as well as increasing imports of crude oil and condensate for processing at our Bukhara oil refinery,” he said.
The talks concern mainly gasoline rated 92 octane and higher. They cover both purchases of finished fuel for the domestic market and supplies of feedstock to be refined locally.
Muminov said future volumes would be set according to domestic demand. The talks are continuing.
Asked whether the diversification plans are linked to the situation on the Russian fuel market, the company’s representative did not directly confirm such a link and said only that supply risks need to be reduced.
What was discussed with CNPC earlier
On Oct. 20, Uzbekneftegaz management board chairman Abdugani Sanginov held talks with a CNPC delegation led by its president, Zhou Xinhuai. The sides discussed long-term supplies of petroleum products for the domestic market, wider cooperation in the oil and gas sector and faster implementation of joint projects.
Uzbekneftegaz said total cooperation with CNPC has exceeded $1 billion. That figure includes import contracts, services and joint projects, not only fuel purchases.
The meeting also covered geological exploration, drilling, seismic surveys, improving gas production efficiency, digitalization and supplies of modern equipment. In these areas Uzbekneftegaz works with CNPC units Xibu, BGP, CCDC and CNLC.
Gasoline imports fell sharply in summer
The talks come as gasoline imports have dropped and prices have risen.
As Gazeta previously reported, citing the Customs Committee, imports in January-August 2026 totaled 721.5 million liters, up 41.2% from a year earlier. Their cost rose faster, by 48.6% to $437.4 million.
Monthly imports fell sharply after April, however. About 141.8 million liters arrived in April, then 72 million in May, 50.7 million in June, 18.6 million in July and only 11.4 million in August. August imports were more than 12 times lower than in April and 76.8% lower than a year earlier.
The average price of imported fuel rose significantly at the same time. Gazeta’s calculations put it at about $576 per 1,000 liters in April and almost $995 in August, an increase of about 73% in four months.
Domestic gasoline prices also rose. According to the National Statistics Committee, average prices were up 1.9% month on month in August and 20.2% year on year.
In September, the Energy Ministry attributed the sharp fall in imports to refinery shutdowns in Russia. “Russia accounted for 85-90% of imports. After the shutdown of refineries in Russia, the volume of imports really did fall sharply,” the ministry said.
Authorities were already exploring alternative supply routes, including Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Belarus. Russia has also introduced restrictions on exports of gasoline and other petroleum products, though the Energy Ministry has said the bans should not apply to supplies under intergovernmental agreements.
