The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, together with “QazaqGaz,” has formed a forecast gas balance until 2030, the press service of the ministry reports.
“In recent years, gas production in the country has been steadily growing. According to the projected gas balance, gas production is expected to increase to 60.456 bcm in 2024. The production plan for commercial gas for 2024 is 28.054 bcm. According to the projected gas balance, the current domestic consumption in 2024 is 20.9 bcm,” the ministry reports.
In 2023, gas production in Kazakhstan amounted to 59.063 bcm, including 16.009 bcm at large “Tengiz” fields, 22.385 bcm at “Karachaganak,” 11.856 bcm at “Kashagan,” and 8.813 bcm at other fields.
The ministry clarified that more than 85% of Kazakhstan’s gas production is provided by the “Tengiz” (27%), “Karachaganak” (38%) and “Kashagan” (20%) projects.
Vice Minister of Energy Askhat Khasenov said that in order to eliminate gas shortages in the country, production at the “Rozhkovskoye,” “Yuzhny Aksai” and “Anabai” fields was launched in 2023. In the medium term, it is expected to launch several more” Urikhtau Tsentralny,” “Zapadnaya Prorva,” and “Kalamkas” gas projects with recoverable gas reserves of more than 69 bcm.
He also said that compared to 2006, the volume of gas combustion has decreased by 10 times.
“The burning of crude gas in flares is prohibited, except in cases of threat or emergency situations, the life of personnel or public health and the environment, as well as in case of technologically unavoidable combustion to ensure an uninterrupted process of hydrocarbon production – maintenance and repair of technological equipment, as well as technological failures, failures and deviations in the operation of technological equipment. In 2023, the volume of burned gas in flares amounted to 307 million m3. The share of recycling was 99.5%, the department explained.