Kazakhstan says Kashagan gas plant reaches 60% completion

Kazakhstan’s Kashagan Gas Processing Plant has reached 60% completion, with 97% of major equipment already delivered, according to Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov after an inspection visit to the site.

The project, being developed by GPC Investment, a subsidiary of QazaqGaz, is designed to process 1 billion cubic meters of associated gas annually. Once commissioned, it is expected to produce about 727 million cubic meters of commercial gas per year.

Around 2,000 specialists are currently working on construction. Installation of process equipment, engineering systems, and key production facilities is continuing, while the accommodation camp and railway infrastructure for transporting oversized cargo have already been completed.

"The Kashagan Gas Processing Plant is of strategic importance for the further development of Kazakhstan’s gas industry. Commissioning the plant will increase the processing of associated gas, improve the efficiency of developing one of the country’s largest oil and gas fields, and supply additional volumes of commercial gas to the domestic market. Our task today is to ensure its timely commissioning", Akkenzhenov said.

QazaqGaz Chairman Alibek Zhamauov said the company is maintaining close oversight of the project.

"Implementation of the project is under constant monitoring by QazaqGaz. Understanding the project's importance for the country’s economy, we are taking all necessary measures to ensure the quality and timely completion of the Kashagan Gas Processing Plant’s construction", he said.

The plant is part of Kazakhstan’s broader effort to expand domestic gas processing capacity and improve the use of associated gas from one of the country’s largest oil fields. The source article said additional gas supplies have become increasingly important for Kazakhstan because of rising demand from industrial projects, urban gasification programs, and energy infrastructure development.

The article also said the project has environmental significance, noting Kazakhstan’s commitment to reducing routine gas flaring under the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 initiative. Additional processing capacity is expected to improve associated gas utilization and support efforts to manage emissions.

The Kashagan project follows earlier decades of engineering work at the field, where international companies developed offshore and onshore infrastructure under challenging environmental and technical conditions. Saipem Country Manager for Romania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Türkiye Ernesto Ferlenghi said the company had taken part in that work.

"We’ve been working in Kazakhstan since 1995 and in Azerbaijan since 1996. Our involvement reflects a commitment to providing innovative, sustainable and technologically advanced solutions for complex energy projects", Ferlenghi said.

According to Ferlenghi, Saipem worked on the Kashagan oil field project from 2009 to 2016, carrying out engineering, procurement, construction, and installation for offshore infrastructure. He said the company developed offshore facilities, including 95 kilometers of underwater pipelines linking offshore platforms with onshore infrastructure.

"This was a record-breaking achievement. It included the longest pipeline shore pull in floating conditions, spanning 10 kilometers. It was executed in an isolated area with a very shallow profile, and significant attention was paid to environmental conservation", Ferlenghi said.

The source article described the gas processing plant as the next phase in the development of Kashagan, with the current focus on improving associated gas utilization and expanding domestic gas supplies. It also said the delivery of 97% of major equipment indicates the project has moved into a critical stage of installation, integration, and preparation for commissioning.

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