ASTANA – Kazakhstan is implementing measures to expand its marketable gas resource base, develop new gas fields and increase processing capacity to ensure stable energy supplies for the economy and population, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said at a July 7 government meeting.
Under the Comprehensive Gas Industry Development Plan for 2025-2029 and the Plan for the Development of New Promising Hydrocarbon Fields through 2035, Kazakhstan is developing 30 subsoil blocks. Nine contracts have been signed with QazaqGaz, including six projects at the exploration stage and three at the production stage, with implementation periods extending from 2047 to 2069.
Between 2023 and 2025, QazaqGaz and KazMunayGas brought the Anabay, Barkhannaya, Rozhkovskoye and Zapadnaya Prorva fields into commercial development. The second start-up complex of Zapadnaya Prorva, as well as the Maldybai, Pridorozhnoye and Urikhtau fields, are scheduled for commissioning in 2027.
Construction of the Kashagan gas processing plant with a capacity of one billion cubic meters per year is progressing, with completion expected by the end of this year. According to QazaqGaz Chairman Alibek Zhamauov, construction progress has reached 61.4%, while delivery of major equipment is 98% complete.
The project involves 1,775 workers and 314 units of specialized equipment operating at the site. QazaqGaz is also preparing a larger Kashagan gas processing project with a capacity of 2.5 billion cubic meters per year. Infrastructure development is also continuing.
Design work for the second line of the Beineu-Bozoy-Shymkent main gas pipeline is underway, with equipment procurement completed and pipe installation scheduled to begin in August. Kazakhstan plans to increase marketable gas production for domestic consumption by 29.6%, from 27.4 billion cubic meters in 2025 to 35.5 billion cubic meters by 2032.
Akkenzhenov said new processing capacities will drive growth at Kashagan and Karachaganak, providing additional gas volumes and strengthening regional supplies. The Taldykorgan-Usharal gas pipeline was commissioned in October 2025, while the first phase of the second line of the Beineu-Bozoy-Shymkent pipeline is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The project’s second phase is scheduled for 2029 and will increase annual gas transportation capacity to 15 billion cubic meters. By 2030, Kazakhstan plans to commission the Kashagan gas processing plant with a capacity of 2.5 billion cubic meters per year and the Karachaganak gas processing plant with a capacity of 5 billion cubic meters per year.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov highlighted digital transformation as a key tool for improving the efficiency of the gas industry. He instructed the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and the Ministry of Energy to establish a unified digital gas metering platform to support modernization and improve transparency in the sector.