Kazakhstan to triple gas reserves in major exploration driveKazakhstan plans to more than triple its natural gas resource base in the coming years, targeting 1.7 trillion cubic meters, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said Wednesday.The announcement follows an order from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to bolster domestic gas supply by accelerating exploration. State-owned QazaqGaz is already leading the effort across 14 license blocks holding an estimated 515 billion cubic meters of contingent resources."In the medium term, we aim to expand the exploration portfolio to 30 blocks with total estimated gas resources of about 1.7 trillion cubic meters," Akkenzhenov told a government meeting. "This will build a reliable foundation for raising production and meeting future domestic demand."To attract investment and share geological risk, the ministry will offer approximately 50 additional exploration blocks through electronic auctions. Funding for work on these blocks will be shared by QazaqGaz, the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund, and private partners.The drive comes as Kazakhstan struggles with a growing supply gap. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted on Tuesday that gas imports rose 18% in 2025 to 4.5 billion cubic meters, while the commissioning of new domestic fields has been delayed.He has instructed the government and Samruk-Kazyna to fast-track exploration and bring new discoveries into development.QazaqGaz, part of Samruk-Kazyna, oversees gas exploration, transportation, and processing, and runs regional gasification programs across the country. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX