At the Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, issues of gas industry development were considered.

The Prime Minister noted that the development of the gas industry is one of the key conditions for ensuring energy security, sustainable economic growth, and improving the quality of life of the population.

“The Head of State always emphasizes that sustainable economic development is impossible without modern energy infrastructure, reliable provision of the domestic market with energy resources, and timely implementation of strategic investment projects. These tasks fully apply to the gas industry, where we observe steady growth in domestic consumption to 20 billion m³ last year. In accordance with the tasks set by the President, the Government has approved the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Gas Industry and the Plan for the Development of New Promising Fields,” Olzhas Bektenov noted.

Reports were delivered by Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhanov, Chairman of the Board of JSC NC “KazMunayGas” Askhat Khasenov, Chairman of the Board of JSC “QazaqGaz” Alibek Zhamaulov, as well as akims of Atyrau, Kostanay, Karaganda, and Turkestan regions.

According to the Ministry of Energy, gas production in 2025 amounted to 68.2 billion m³, and 25.9 billion m³ of gas were produced in the first 5 months of this year. The plan for 2026 is 64.5 billion m³. Commercial gas production in 2025 amounted to 27.4 billion m³. In 2026, this indicator is planned to be maintained at the level of 27.4 billion m³; 10 billion m³ of commercial gas were produced in the first 5 months.

As of January 1, 2026, the level of gasification reached 64.2%. 13.1 million people have access to natural gas. The head of the Government noted that, in execution of the instruction of the Head of State, the level of population gasification should be increased to 80%. According to the forecast balance, by 2030 commercial gas production in Kazakhstan will amount to 31.3 billion m³. This volume will allow meeting the needs of the domestic market, taking into account the increase in the level of population gasification.

Olzhas Bektenov emphasized that economic development is accompanied by a steady increase in demand for gas from the population and industry, therefore the development of the industry should be carried out at an advanced pace. In this regard, the Ministry of Energy, the Samruk-Kazyna Fund, and JSC “QazaqGaz” were instructed to introduce a system of weekly control over the construction of gas processing plants at the Kashagan, Karachaganak fields, and in the city of Zhanaozen, which should ensure an increase in commercial gas production for the domestic market and become the basis for the development of the petrochemical industry.

Within the framework of resource base development, the Ministry of Energy, together with JSC NC “KazMunayGas,” was instructed to accelerate the involvement of new promising sites in geological exploration, ensure the active introduction of modern exploration technologies, and create favorable conditions for attracting private investment. The implementation of projects for the construction of the second line of the Beineu – Bozoi – Shymkent gas pipeline and the new Ishim – Astana gas pipeline, which are of strategic importance for reliable gas supply to the regions and the further industrialization of the country, will continue.

To increase the level of population gasification, akims of the regions were instructed to synchronize the construction of main infrastructure with the readiness of local distribution networks. When assessing the effectiveness of project implementation, the main indicator should be the number of actually connected subscribers.

For the digital transformation of the industry, the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, together with the Ministry of Energy, was instructed to create a unified digital gas accounting platform. The Ministry of Energy and JSC NC “KazMunayGas” were instructed to submit a detailed plan within one month to increase the production of liquefied petroleum gas and ensure a transparent mechanism for distributing its volumes among the regions.

Following the meeting, the Prime Minister gave a number of instructions.

First. The Ministry of National Economy, together with the Ministry of Energy and the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition, was instructed to submit proposals to the Government within two months on a new incentive tariff policy, taking into account the preservation of fair targeted support for the population.

Second. The Ministries of Industry and Energy, together with the Samruk-Kazyna Fund, were instructed to approve within one month the nomenclature of oil and gas equipment, the procurement of which will be carried out exclusively from Kazakhstani producers.

Third. In conditions of constantly growing consumption in the country, the volumes of available gas should be directed first of all to the needs of the population and the development of high-tech industries.

The Ministry of Energy, together with regional akimats, must develop within one month criteria for energy efficiency for new productions wishing to connect to commercial gas. The practice of issuing resource volumes to energy-intensive and low-efficiency productions should be stopped. Control and overall coordination of the instructions have been assigned to First Deputy Prime Minister Nurlibek Nalibayev.

#Olzhas Bektenov #Economy #Government session #Oil & Gas #President's instruction

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