ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 3. Kazakhstan is transforming its oil and gas industry into a high-tech cluster with a focus on deeper processing and value-added production, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said at the KAZENERGY forum in Astana, Trend reports.
"The oil and gas sector in Kazakhstan today is a high-tech cluster with a focus on transitioning from an export-based model to a comprehensive system, the future of Kazakhstan in the technological process, and we already have some good results," Bektenov stated.
He highlighted the commissioning of a polypropylene plant with a capacity of 500,000 tons and the ongoing implementation of a polyethylene project with a 1.25 million ton capacity. "This will make Kazakhstan the biggest producer of polymers in Central Asia," he noted, adding that projects for butadiene and carbamide production are also underway.
According to the Prime Minister, by 2030 Kazakhstan plans to implement six large projects worth more than $15 billion, which will significantly boost petrochemical output and create tens of thousands of new jobs.
Bektenov also pointed to ongoing refinery upgrades and gas processing projects. "Shymkent refinery increased its capacity to 12 million tons. In gas processing, we are implementing key projects such as a gas plant in Zhanaozen, a gas processing system at Kashagan, and a gas separation system at Tengiz," he said.
The government is also expanding gas infrastructure to support industrial development. "The second pipeline of the near-border Shymkent will enhance the gasification of the regions and will create new opportunities for the industrial development," Bektenov added.
Turning to clean energy, the Prime Minister underlined Kazakhstan’s cooperation with major international partners. "Together with international partners such as TotalEnergies, Masdar, Energy China, and China Power, we are implementing renewables projects with a total capacity of above 4 GW," he said.