ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 13. Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company KazMunayGas is currently focusing on geological exploration of deep and underexplored areas, Chairman of the Management Board Askhat Khassenov said during a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh President.
Tokayev was briefed on the company’s performance in 2025 and its objectives for the upcoming period.
Khassenov reported that in 2025, contracts were finalized with Chinese companies CNOOC and Sinopec for subsoil use projects in the Zhylyoi area of the Atyrau region and the Berezovsky region of West Kazakhstan. Additionally, major international players, such as Turkish Petroleum Corporation, BP, and the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency, are currently evaluating promising areas for exploration in Kazakhstan.
In 2025, eight exploratory wells were successfully drilled, with plans in place to drill another 24 by 2029. Total investments in these projects are projected to exceed $900 million.
The report further highlighted that oil and condensate production reached 26.2 million tons in 2025, marking a 10% increase compared to the previous year. Efforts are also underway to augment gas production by an additional 2.3 billion cubic meters annually at the Zapadnaya Prorva, Tsentralny Urikhtau, and Rozhkovskoye fields.
''Last year, the three refineries operated by KazMunayGas processed a total of 17.5 million tons of oil, producing 13.6 million tons of light petroleum products—1.2 million tons more than in 2024. Moreover, large-scale investment projects worth over $15 billion in petrochemicals and gas processing are currently being carried out.
A seawater desalination plant, Kenderli, with a capacity of 50,000 cubic meters per day, was commissioned in the Mangystau region,'' the report says.
Tokayev gave instructions to accelerate geological exploration and ensure the timely implementation of major investment projects.
KazMunayGas, founded in 2002, is Kazakhstan's leading vertically integrated oil and gas company, managing assets across the entire production cycle from exploration and extraction to transportation, refining, and specialized services.