BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 26. A total of 16.3 million cubic meters of natural gas was produced in Kyrgyzstan from January through June 2023, Trend reports.
Data from the country's State Statistical Committee shows that natural gas production in Kyrgyzstan increased 16.4 percent compared to the same period in 2022 (14 million cubic meters).
In June 2023, the country's natural gas production reached 2.2 million cubic meters, marking a 15.8-percent rise from the 1.9 million cubic meters produced in June 2022.
In February this year, the deputy general director of the Gazprom branch in Kyrgyzstan said that it is necessary to develop gas fields in the southern part of the country, to reduce the dependence of these regions on gas from Uzbekistan.
He noted that Kyrgyzstan has its own confirmed gas fields with nearly 4 or 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas. These volumes will be enough to supply the south of Kyrgyzstan for about 80–90 years.
The main concern of Kyrgyz government is that the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan mostly rely on gas imported from Uzbekistan. However, the government of Uzbekistan is discussing the possibility of banning gas exports abroad. This situation poses a risk to the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan, making them look for alternative supply options.