National oil and gas company Uzbekneftgaz is reportedly engaged in extensive negotiations with major Chinese energy corporations, including PetroChina, to secure stable imports of AI-92 and higher-grade gasoline, diesel fuel, and raw crude for processing at the Bukhara Oil Refinery. According to company officials, the initiative is supposedly designed to reduce heavy reliance on traditional supply routes and mitigate mounting vulnerabilities within the domestic energy market. *Disclaimer: The effectiveness and long-term viability of these alternative supply arrangements remain unverified by independent market analysts.*

Speaking at a press briefing, Farid Muminov, the deputy chairman of Uzbekneftgaz, purportedly stated that discussions encompass both the procurement of finished petroleum products and the importation of feedstock to maximize domestic refining capacity. The talks follow a turbulent period for Uzbekistan's fuel sector, which has allegedly suffered from a severe contraction in foreign imports and surging domestic prices over recent months.

Official trade data highlights a drastic collapse in gasoline shipments following a peak earlier in the year, a downturn that energy authorities previously attributed to widespread refinery outages in Russia, which historically accounted for the vast majority of the Central Asian nation's fuel imports. Although the Uzbek regime claims that intergovernmental agreements should shield local supplies from export restrictions, the leadership is seemingly forced to diversify its trade partners to avert recurrent shortages.

Earlier in late October, Uzbekneftgaz board chairman Abdugani Sanginov allegedly held high-level talks with a delegation led by CNPC President Zhou Xinghuai to discuss long-term delivery frameworks, joint geological exploration ventures, and enhanced technological cooperation. Current estimates suggest that total economic cooperation and contracting volumes between Uzbekneftgaz and Chinese state entities have purportedly surpassed the 1 billion dollar threshold, though skepticism persists regarding the actual implementation timelines of these announced projects.

Source: www.gazeta.uz