BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company KazMunayGas (KMG) and South Korea's Samsung E&A have discussed the potential expansion of the Pavlodar Petrochemical Plant's processing capacity from 6 million to 9 million tonnes per year, according to KMG.
The issue was discussed at a meeting in Astana between Askhat Khassenov, Chairman of the Management Board of KMG, and Robert Yun, Executive Vice President and Head of Sales and Business Development at Samsung E&A.
In particular, the parties considered the Korean company's potential involvement in preparing front-end engineering design (FEED) documentation for the project.
Khassenov noted that KMG is particularly interested in South Korean partners' experience in engineering and construction of oil refineries and petrochemical facilities.
In September 2026, a KMG delegation visited Samsung E&A's headquarters in Seoul, where it reviewed the company's major projects and technological solutions.
According to KMG, Pavlodar Petrochemical Plant is the largest enterprise in north-eastern Kazakhstan for crude oil refining and petroleum products manufacturing, and one of the republic's three oil refineries, 100% owned by KazMunayGas. Commissioned in 1978, the refinery is configured to process West Siberian crude oil feedstock and has a balanced capacity of 6 million tons of crude oil per year.
KazMunayGas is Kazakhstan's leading vertically integrated oil and gas company, with operations covering the entire production cycle, from hydrocarbon exploration and production to transportation, refining, and specialized services. Established in 2002, KMG represents Kazakhstan's interests in the country's oil and gas industry.
