Karachaganak
Karachaganak · Карачаганакское месторождение · Қарашығанақ кен орны
Karachaganak is the country's largest oil and gas condensate field, discovered in 1979 in the West Kazakhstan region. It covers more than 280 km², with hydrocarbons initially in place estimated at 13.6 billion barrels of liquids and 59.4 trillion cubic feet of gas. The project runs under the Final Production Sharing Agreement of 1997, operated by Karachaganak Petroleum Operating.
- Type
- Oil & gas fields
- Region
- West Kazakhstan Region
- Status
- Producing
- Shareholders
- Shell 29.25%, Eni 29.25%, Chevron 18%, Lukoil 13.5%, KazMunayGas 10%
What it is known for
- One of the world's largest oil and gas condensate fields, and the biggest gas resource in Kazakhstan КазМунайГаз
- Only about 16.9% of the liquids and 15.7% of the gas have been recovered so far — most of it is still in the ground Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V.
The key figures
- Discovered
- 1979; pilot development from 1984 КазМунайГаз
- Area
- over 280 km² Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V.
- Hydrocarbons in place
- 13.6 billion barrels of liquids and 59.4 trillion cubic feet of gas Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V.
- Agreement
- the Final Production Sharing Agreement of 1997; the partners have invested about $34.4 billion Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V.
- 2025 production
- 136.453 million barrels of oil equivalent, with 16.625 billion m³ of gas injected back into the reservoir Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V.
- Holding the plateau
- the goal is to hold 10–11 million tonnes of liquids a year: the gas debottlenecking project ($898 million, +9.1 Mt) came on stream in 2021, the fifth injection compressor costs $970 million (+7.1 Mt) and the sixth $735 million (+5.8 Mt), due in the fourth quarter of 2026 КазМунайГаз
- KMG's share of 2024 production
- 1,097 thousand tonnes (24 thousand barrels a day) КазМунайГаз
History
- 1979
The field is discovered
- 1984
Pilot development begins
- 1997
On 18 November the Final Production Sharing Agreement is signed for 40 years
- 2021
The gas debottlenecking project comes on stream
- 2026
The sixth injection compressor is being readied for start-up
Infrastructure
The liquids travel by the Karachaganak — Bolshoi Chagan — Atyrau pipeline into the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system, part of the gas goes to the Orenburg gas plant, and large volumes are injected back into the reservoir to hold the pressure.