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From 1-3 July, Turkmenistan and Iran engaged in negotiations on the supply of natural gas. Reporting on the meeting in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry announced that a contract had been signed for the purchase and sale of natural gas of up to 10 billion cubic meters per year, to be supplied by Turkmenistan to Iraq through the territory of Iran under a swap scheme. According to the ministry’s statement, to accommodate increased supplies of gas, Iranian companies will also build a new 125-kilometer pipeline and three gas compressor stations in Turkmenistan. Under the new contract, the volume of Turkmen gas supplied to Iran along the Dovletabad – Sarahs – Hangeran route and through the Chaloyuk gas measuring station, will rise to 40 billion cubic meters per year. Despite being home to the world's second-largest natural gas reserves, Iran has experienced chronic natural gas shortages during the winter months, and rising domestic demand has limited the country’s ability to export gas. As a result of the gas swap with Turkmenistan, Iran will be able to meet its gas export commitments. Turkmenistan has the world’s fourth-largest proven natural gas reserves, but due to its geographical location and geopolitical environment, has faced difficulties in finding export markets for its gas. Today, China is the main buyer of Turkmen natural gas.
According to data released by the Statistics Agency of Uzbekistan, from January – May, the country’s production of natural gas amounted to 18.8 billion cubic meters, one billion cubic meters less than in the same period last year. Natural gas production in Uzbekistan has seen a steady decline in recent years and from 2019-23, fell by 22.8 percent. In 2022, gas production decreased from 53.8 billion to 51.67 billion cubic meters, or 4%, and in 2023, from 51.67 billion to 46.71 billion cubic meters, or 9.6%. To compensate for the drop in domestic production, Uzbekistan has increased its import of natural gas from Turkmenistan and Russia. In the first 5 months of this year, Uzbekistan also saw a decrease in coal and oil production. Coal production fell by 73 thousand tons, to 1.9 million tons, and oil production, by 22 thousand tons, to 305 thousand tons.
Long-term contracts for natural gas supplies to Kyrgyzstan were signed on June 7 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2024, between Gazprom Export and Gazprom Kyrgyzstan. The latter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Russian company, the exclusive importer of natural gas to Kyrgyzstan, and owner of the country’s gas transmission and distribution systems. In the presence of Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Taalaibek Ibraev, Minister of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic, contracts running from 2025 -2040, were also concluded between Gazprom Kyrgyzstan and two of Kyrgyzstan’s largest consumers, Electric Stations and the Bishkekteploenergo municipal heating enterprise. Additional contracts, again effective from 2025- 2040, were signed by Gazprom and Kazakhstan’s national company QazaqGaz for the transmission of Russian natural gas across Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. During the forum, Alexey Miller and Roman Sklyar, First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, also signed an action plan for the Central Asia – Center IV gas trunk pipeline for the increased transit of Russian natural gas to Uzbekistan. Russia has been supplying natural gas to Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan since October 2023.
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy, the country’s production of natural gas which has been has steadily growing in recent years, is expected to reach 60.456 billion m3 in 2024. More than 85% of natural gas in Kazakhstan is produced by the Tengiz (27%), Karachaganak (38%) and Kashagan (20%) projects. In 2023, natural gas production in Kazakhstan totaled 59.063 billion m3, including 16.009 billion m3 at Tengiz, 22.385 billion m3 at Karachaganak, and 11.856 billion m3 at Kashagan. Domestic consumption in 2024 is intended to reach 20.9 billion m3.
