* This content was produced in Russia, where the law
restricts
coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine.
* CPC exports around 1.2 million barrels per day
* Pipeline's operations have been interrupted by storms
* Kazakhstan considers measures to tackle CPC restrictions
* CPC asks court to suspend the ruling enforcement
MOSCOW, July 6 (Reuters) - Caspian Pipeline Consortium
(CPC), which takes oil from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea via one
of the world's largest pipelines, has been told by a Russian
court to suspend activity for 30 days, although exports were
still flowing.
Tengizchevroil, the operator of Kazakhstan's largest
oilfield Tengiz, said oil supplies via the CPC pipeline have not
been interrupted.
Tengizchevroil, in which Chevron holds a 50% stake,
said that it has sought clarification from the CPC on details
and next steps after the ruling.
Three industry sources also said oil supplies from the
fields in Kazakhstan to the CPC pipeline were uninterrupted as
of Wednesday morning.
CPC, which handles about 1% of global oil, said the ruling
to suspend operations related to paperwork on oil spills and
said the consortium, which includes Chevron and Exxon,
had to abide by Tuesday's court ruling.
Any major disruption to the CPC would put further strain on
the global oil market which is facing one of its the worst
supply crunches since the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s.
CPC said it had submitted an appeal to the court in the
Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk requesting that the
enforcement of ruling be suspended to avoid a stoppage that
could lead to irrevocable consequences for the pipeline
equipment.
CPC did not offer further comment when contacted by Reuters.
The CPC pipeline has been in the spotlight since Russia sent
troops into Ukraine, in what it calls a "special military
operation". Western sanctions imposed as a result have driven
down Russian exports and pushed up oil prices.
Oil prices were up more than 1% on Wednesday at
around $104 a barrel, supported by supply concerns.
Russia has already reduced gas flows via the Nord Stream 1
gas pipeline, which supplies Russian gas to Germany and other
European states. That pipeline has been operating at 40%
capacity because of a dispute over equipment repairs.
SANCTIONS
The United States has imposed sanctions on Russian oil but
has said flows from Kazakhstan through Russia should run
uninterrupted. The European Union, meanwhile, has said it wants
to wean itself off reliance on Russian fossil fuels by 2027.
A terminal situation report seen by Reuters showed oil
loadings from CPC terminal were continuing as of midday on July
5 but it was not clear if operations were continuing on July 6.
CPC said on Wednesday that Russian Deputy Prime Minister
Viktoria Abramchenko ordered regulators, including industrial
safety regulator Rostekhnadzor, to inspect the facilities of the
Russian part of the consortium.
It said the inspection has found some "documentary"
irregularities on plans on how to tackle oil spills. An oil
spill occurred at the terminal last year.
Kazakhstan said the government was discussing measures to
tackle the impact of restrictions on oil exports via the CPC.
The pipeline exported up to 54 million tonnes, or some 1.2
million barrels per day, of Kazakhstan's main crude grade, light
sour CPC Blend <BFO-CPC>, last year from the Black Sea.
The pipeline's operations have already been interrupted by
storm damage to the Black Sea's terminal equipment this year.
Separately, Kazakhstan police said there was an explosion at
the giant Tengiz oilfield, the main source of oil for the CPC,
killing two workers, Interfax news agency reported.
The operator said that production at the field was
continuing after the accident.
(Reporting by Reuters bureaux, additional reporting by Ron
Bousso in London; Editing by Edmund Blair, Guy Faulconbridge and
Jane Merriman)