ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 11. Kazakhstan has signed more than 320 hydrocarbon subsoil use contracts, with significant investment continuing in geological exploration, Deputy Minister of Energy Kayyrkhan Tutkyshbaev said at a government meeting, Trend reports.
As of September 2025, 324 contracts are in effect: 15 for exploration, 170 for both exploration and production, 131 for production, and 8 under production sharing agreements.
Tutkyshbaev noted that 80 billion tenge ($152.6 million) has been invested in geological exploration in the first nine months of 2025. For comparison, around 150 billion tenge ($286.1 million) and 160 billion tenge ($305.1 million) were invested in 2023 and 2024, respectively. He added that by the end of 2025, total exploration investments are expected to match or exceed the levels of previous years.
The deputy minister also highlighted that the hydrocarbon sector currently employs about 220,000 people, covering exploration, production, processing, transportation, and oilfield services.