Model contractIn force
Model hydrocarbon contracts
On approval of model subsoil use contracts
The English title is an unofficial translation.
Approve the model contracts on which hydrocarbon subsoil use contracts are based; deviations from a model contract are allowed only in the cases and within the limits set by the Subsoil Code.
What matters for an oil & gas company
- Current forms: model contract for exploration and production of hydrocarbons; for production of hydrocarbons; for exploration and production under complex projects; for production under complex projects; for exploration and production in a subsoil area within poorly studied territories.
- Complex projects are offshore projects in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea and, among other criteria, onshore projects with unconventional reserves, a deposit depth of at least 4,500 m or high hydrogen sulphide content (Art. 36(1-2) of the Code).
- Order No. 283-н/қ of 24.07.2026, in every form: the state has a pre-emptive right to buy hydrocarbons at prices no higher than the subsoil user's own deal prices less transport and sales costs, paid in tenge; the contract records the signature bonus paid before signing; the liquidation of production consequences is secured by a pledged bank deposit. The uranium production model contract was removed in 2025.
The summaries are for orientation and are not legal advice. Only the official text is legally binding. Checked in September 2026.