Kazakhstan is gearing up for higher natural gas production, particularly from the western-led Tengiz and Kashagan fields, and has announced a major project to enhance its gas storage capabilities. The country’s state-owned gas pipeline operator, Qazaqgaz, through its subsidiary Intergas Central Asia, has outlined plans to increase the capacity of its underground gas storage by a third.
In a project filing submitted to the Kazakh government late last week, Intergas Central Asia revealed that it intends to undertake a two-phase drilling operation to boost the number of injection wells at a depleted gas field in the Shalkar district of Aktyubinsk. This field, known as Zhamankoyankulak, currently serves as a storage site for gas transported via the Beyneu–Bozoy–Shymkent (BBS) pipeline, which moves gas from western Kazakhstan to the southern regions of the country.
The project is set to begin in 2026, with the first phase involving the drilling of 36 new injection wells, followed by another 36 in the second phase. The goal is to significantly increase the amount of gas that can be extracted from storage during peak winter demand. At present, the facility is capable of extracting up to 20 million cubic meters of gas per day, and the expansion will help meet the country’s growing energy needs.