BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 10. As of January 1, 2025, Kazakhstan's proven natural gas reserves have reached a significant 85 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Trend reports.
The vast majority of Kazakhstan's natural gas reserves are associated with crude oil, making it an integral part of the country's energy landscape.
In 2023, Kazakhstan produced approximately 1.0 Tcf of natural gas, while its consumption stood at 0.8 Tcf. A substantial portion of the natural gas produced, especially in the Tengiz and Kashagan oil fields, is reinjected to enhance oil production. In fact, over 35% of gross natural gas production in the country was used for this purpose in 2022, a practice that continues to be crucial for boosting oil yields.
However, much of the natural gas produced at Kazakhstan's major fields, including Tengiz and Kashagan, is rich in sulfur, necessitating specialized handling and costly processing. At the Tengiz oil field, a natural gas processing plant is in place to manage the sulfur content.
On the other hand, the Karachaganak field faces challenges, as it lacks sufficient processing capacity to produce pipeline-quality dry natural gas. As a result, most of the raw natural gas from Karachaganak is exported through a Soviet-era pipeline to Russia, where it is processed at a Gazprom-owned facility in Orenburg.