Kazakhstan Appoints Operator for Karachaganak Gas Processing Plant Construction
Kazakhstan has identified the participants in a project to construct a new gas processing plant (GPP) at the Karachaganak field, aimed at supplying the domestic market with commercial gas. The national company QazaqGaz will act as the single project operator, while China’s CITIC Construction has expressed readiness to participate. Initially, the launch of the GPP, with a capacity of up to 4 billion cubic meters of gas per year, was scheduled for 2028. Construction was to be carried out by Shell and Eni, both involved in developing the Karachaganak field in the West Kazakhstan region. However, in March 2026, Kazakhstan withdrew from this arrangement due to significant cost overruns and disagreements over implementation terms. At present, gas from Karachaganak is processed at the Orenburg GPP in Russia. Kazakhstan aims to relocate processing to its own territory to strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on external infrastructure, particularly amid periodic disruptions linked to drone attacks. According to current plans, the capacity of the future plant may be increased to 5 billion cubic meters per year. The project is a key element of Kazakhstan’s Comprehensive Gas Industry Development Plan through 2029 and is being implemented on the instructions of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov confirmed that the selection of QazaqGaz as the single operator is driven by the need to move quickly to the implementation stage and by the company’s experience in managing gas infrastructure. The project’s economic feasibility has been confirmed, and a framework agreement outlining basic principles of cooperation has been signed with CITIC Construction. Preparations are currently underway for the FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) stage, while issues related to land allocation, infrastructure, and feedstock supply are also being addressed. Particular attention is being paid to negotiations with foreign shareholders in the Karachaganak project. Key issues include guaranteed supplies of raw gas, establishing a pricing mechanism that ensures domestic market viability, integrating the plant with existing field infrastructure (brownfield), and resolving the gas evacuation fee mechanism. “For Kazakhstan, this plant is of critical importance, and indefinitely postponing the project’s start is unacceptable. The state needs results. The project must be implemented dynamically and in strict accordance with our national economic interests,” Akkenzhenov said. The project is unfolding against the backdrop of legal disputes between Kazakhstan and international energy companies. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Shell and Eni may ultimately be required to pay the Kazakh government between $2 billion and $4 billion following international arbitration proceedings in London. In addition, similar disputes are ongoing over another major project, the Kashagan field, where proceedings are being considered at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington.
