KMG concerned over lack of progress in GPP construction at KarachaganakAskat Khassenov, CEO of NC KazMunayGas JSC (KMG), discussed the activities of transnational corporation Shell in Kazakhstan under the North Caspian and Karachaganak projects with Peter Costello, Head of Shell’s Exploration and Production Division, according to a KMG press release.“It was emphasized that KMG, as a partner in the Karachaganak project, is concerned about the lack of progress in advancing the construction of a gas processing plant (GPP) that will process 4.5 billion cubic meters of raw gas annually,” the statement reads.According to KMG, production at the Karachaganak field, including KMG’s share, reached 3.8 million tonnes of oil over four months in 2025, exceeding the target. For the current year, the plan is to produce 10.78 million tonnes of oil and 24.7 billion cubic meters of gas at Karachaganak.KMG and Shell also discussed operations at the Kashagan field: over four months in 2025, production at Kashagan, including KMG’s share, totaled 6.118 million tonnes of oil. The production target for 2025 is 17.8 million tonnes.As previously reported, in early March 2025, Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (KPO), the operator of the Karachaganak oil and gas field, announced the start of engineering and technical work for a project to build a GPP with a capacity of 4 billion cubic meters per year, according to KPO’s press service.Currently, up to 9 billion cubic meters of raw gas from Karachaganak is processed annually at the Orenburg GPP in Russia before being returned to Kazakhstan for domestic supply.Under KPO’s 2023–2027 plans, gas production is expected to increase to 13 billion cubic meters per year without significantly affecting liquid hydrocarbon output. A GPP will be built at the field to process additional gas volumes. Earlier reports stated the plant’s launch is scheduled for 2028–2030.The Karachaganak field is one of the largest in the world, with oil reserves of 1.2 billion tonnes and gas reserves of 1.35 trillion cubic meters. Development of Karachaganak, under a 40-year Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed in 1997, is carried out by the international consortium KPO, comprising Shell (29.25%, via fully affiliated BG Karachaganak Limited), Eni (29.25%), Chevron Corp. (18%), LUKOIL (13.5%), and KMG (10%).Kashagan is an offshore oil and gas field in Kazakhstan’s sector of the Caspian Sea and the country’s largest international investment project. Recoverable reserves are estimated at 9–13 billion barrels of oil. Commercial production began on November 1, 2016, with 18.8 million tonnes of oil extracted in 2023.Shareholders of the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) include KMG Kashagan B.V. (16.877%), Shell Kazakhstan Development B.V. (16.807%), TotalEnergies EP Kazakhstan (16.807%), AgipCaspian Sea B.V. (a subsidiary of Italy’s Eni, 16.807%), ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc. (16.807%), CNPC Kazakhstan B.V. (8.333%), and Inpex North Caspian Sea Ltd. (7.563%). (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX