ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 13. In 2025, Karazhanbasmunai Company (a subsidiary of KazMunayGas) plans to conduct production tests to align the profile of the injectivity of steam injection wells, which will optimize the coverage of reservoirs with thermal influence and additionally increase the recovery factor, Trend reports via KazMunayGas.
According to the information, the Karazhanbas field is characterized by complex geological conditions: high-viscosity, resinous oil with a high sulfur content. The depth of productive reservoirs is 230-460 meters. These features require the use of advanced technologies for effective extraction.
"Key methods in the development process include steam injection techniques. Their pilot industrial implementation at Karazhanbas began in the 1980s. The goal of these methods is to restore reservoir pressure and significantly increase the oil recovery factor (ORF). The principle of steam injection: heating the reservoir reduces the viscosity of the oil, improves the filtration properties of the reservoir, and increases the mobility of hydrocarbons. This increases the productivity of wells and the completeness of resource recovery," the statement says.
According to the company, stationary and mobile steam generator units are used for steam injection at Karazhanbas. The effectiveness of these methods is confirmed by the increase in production levels over the past 13 years: in the eastern area, from 31.31 percent to 62.78 percent; in the northern area, from 25.42 percent to 50.65 percent; and in the central area, from 56.64 percent to 75.35 percent. Over the past 10 years, about 60 percent of the oil from the field has been extracted from areas using steam injection, which proves the high efficiency of this strategy for increasing the ORF and production volumes.
Karazhanbasmunai is constantly implementing innovations. Since 2016, the alternating steam and water injection technology (ASWI) has been successfully tested, allowing an additional 69,000 tons of oil to be extracted. This confirms its potential for optimizing costs and increasing oil recovery.
Located on the Buzachi Peninsula in Kazakhstan's Mangistau region, approximately 230 km from Aktau, Karazhanbasmunai is a prominent oil production company. It operates as a subsidiary of KazMunayGas, the nation's primary oil and gas corporation, contributing significantly to Kazakhstan's energy sector.
