ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 3. KazMunayGas (KMG) Chairman of the Management Board Askhat Khassenov and Eni’s Upstream Director Luca Vignati discussed the further development of the Karachaganak oil and gas condensate field on the sidelines of the Eurasian KAZENERGY Forum in Astana, Trend reports via KMG.
Talks focused on advancing the Karachaganak project, with an emphasis on increasing local content and workforce nationalization within the operator Karachaganak Petroleum Operating (KPO). The sides stressed the need to expand the share of Kazakh specialists in key positions under KPO’s nationalization plan for 2026–2030
The sides also reviewed cooperation in renewable energy, noting the launch of a 50 MW solar power plant in Zhanaozen, Mangystau region. The facility, comprising 80,000 solar panels over 80 hectares, is expected to generate 86 million kWh of clean electricity annually. It marks the first stage of a larger hybrid power project, with a total planned capacity of 247 MW.
Khasenov stressed the importance of meeting deadlines and ensuring high-quality implementation of the next phases of the hybrid energy complex, which include the construction of wind (77 MW) and gas (120 MW) power plants, scheduled for 2026.
The Karachaganak oil and gas condensate field is one of the largest oil and gas condensate deposits in the world, located in the West Kazakhstan region and covering more than 280 km². The field was discovered in 1979, and pilot commercial development began in 1984.
The Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Karachaganak field was signed on November 18, 1997, between Kazakhstan and an international consortium. Royal Dutch Shell and Eni serve as joint operators of the project, implemented through Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (KPO).
Shareholding in KPO: KMG (10 percent), Eni (29.25 percent), Shell (29.25 percent), Chevron (18 percent), Lukoil (13.5 percent).