The Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan, Sherzod Khodjayev, stated in an interview with the 'Uzbekistan 24' channel that Uzbekistan is studying the possibility of participating in a project to build a new oil refinery in Azerbaijan. It is planned that part of this plant's output will be directed to the Uzbek market.
According to the minister's statement, this cooperation could contribute to ensuring stable supplies of petroleum products to the domestic market. Khodjayev also noted that the option of producing products at Uzbekistan's existing oil refining enterprises is being considered.
Previously, there was information that Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan were studying possibilities for long-term supply of crude oil and petroleum products, as well as joint processing of hydrocarbon raw materials.
The need to expand fuel supply sources is linked to the growing demand for petroleum products in Uzbekistan. According to official statistics, from January to June 2026, the import value of oil and petroleum products increased by 8.1% compared to the same period last year, reaching 1.11 billion US dollars. Meanwhile, gasoline imports rose by 1.78 times in the first six months of the year to 409.5 million US dollars, while diesel fuel supplies decreased by 12%, amounting to 228.9 million US dollars. Official statistics do not disclose the countries of origin of the imported fuel or data on physical volume.
The total capacity of Uzbekistan's oil refineries is estimated at approximately 10 million tons per year, but current capacities operate below full load. In recent years, Uzbekistan has repeatedly faced shortages of gasoline and other petroleum products, while domestic crude oil production continues to decline. According to official data, in 2025, domestic oil production in Uzbekistan decreased by 8%, amounting to 655,700 tons. Gasoline production also fell by 6.8% last year, down to 1.2 million tons. Against this backdrop, cooperation with Azerbaijan is being considered as one way to expand opportunities for securing the petroleum product market in Uzbekistan.