MOSCOW, May 30 (Reuters) - Japan's Inpex ( IPXHF ) for

the first time last month supplied crude oil from its share in

the giant Kashagan oil field in Kazakhstan to a German refinery

via Russia's Druzhba pipeline, three sources familiar with the

shipment and export data told Reuters on Thursday.

"It was a trial supply of oil from Kashagan in April, no

supplies (are) planned in May", one of the sources familiar with

the plans said.

The shipment - to the Schwedt refinery - shows how

Kazakhstan is developing oil exports via the Druzhba pipeline,

which connects Russian oil fields to Europe and which otherwise

would be empty due to the European Union embargo on Russian

crude.

Kazakhstan doesn't have a direct access to international sea

routes and the lion's share of its oil exports pass through

Russian territory. Druzhba's northern leg crosses Belarus and

goes to Poland and Germany.

Kazakhstan has been supplying oil to Germany since 2023 via

Druzhba as the EU embargo doesn't forbid the purchase of

non-Russian oil supplied via Russian pipelines. But up to now

this has mostly been done by Kazakhstan oil producer

Karachaganak Petroleum Operating (KPO), in which Eni

and Shell are the largest shareholders.

Another source added that the Inpex ( IPXHF ) shipment went well and

more supplies from Kashagan to Germany are being considered this

year by the Japanese company and other shareholders, but the

counterparts need to agree on the details of such supplies.

Inpex ( IPXHF ) declined to comment on the matter due to

confidentiality obligations.

Kashagan's operator, the North Caspian Operating Company

(NCOC), and the Kazakh Energy Ministry did not immediately

respond to a request for comment.

NCOC is a consortium which includes Shell, Eni,

TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil Corp ( XOM ), as well as

Inpex ( IPXHF ), Kazmunaigaz and China Petroleum Oil Corp.

NCOC shareholders have been looking for additional export

routes as alternatives to Kazakhstan's main export outlet - the

Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) - after multiple stoppages of

exports via the pipeline in 2022.

Kazakhstan's oil supplies to Germany have recently been

challenged by a technical issue between Russia's Transneft

pipeline operator and Poland's PERN, putting shipments at risk,

but the matter has been resolved.