KATS is the main export route for stabilised liquid hydrocarbons produced at the Karachaganak Field and these pipelines have been in operation since 2003. The transportation system consists of a 24 inch buried pipeline from the Karachaganak Processing Complex (KPC) to Atyrau on the Caspian Sea. There are two pumping stations; one at Bolshoi Chagan and one at KPC and a receiving and storage facility in Atyrau. KPO operates and maintains all of these facilities. In Atyrau, the line connects to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) system which transports oil to Novorossiysk where it is loaded on tankers and exported.

CPC is owned by a number of international energy companies along and the Governments of both Kazakhstan and Russia. The pipeline, which has been in operation since 2001, stretches from Tengiz in Kazakhstan to Novorossiysk on the Black Sea. It is 1510 kilometres long and varies in diameter between 40 and 42 inches. There are five pumping stations, a marine terminal and tank farm. CPC provides a vital link for the transportation of Karachaganak liquids to high value Western markets.

KOTS consists of five pipelines of 140 kilometres in length that transport hydrocarbons from the Karachaganak field to the Orenburg Gas Plant (OGP) in the Russian Federation. These pipelines were in existence prior to the second phase of Karachaganak’s development. Two pipelines of 28 inches in diameter transport sour gas to OGP for further treatment. In addition there are three 14 inch lines of which one is a liquid export line and two are dual service and transport either unstabilised liquid or sour gas.

At Bolshoi Chagan the KATS pipeline also connects to the KazTransOil (KTO) pipeline which links to Samara in the Russian Federation providing a further export route into the Transneft pipeline systems.