Kazakhstan’s gas sector may face crisis in 2 years

Nur-Sultan, June 7 - Neftegaz.RU. Kazakhstan´s QazaqGas National Company announced need in urgent measures to expand commercial gas reserve base, Kazinform reports.
Chairman of the company Sanzhar Zharkeshov said:

• In 2024 the country’s gas sector may face a crisis
• 1^st, we forecast gas shortage in 2024
• Domestic market demand will surpass the available gas reserves by 1.7 bln m³
• We need to launch prompt actions, otherwise, gas export will be stopped in 2023

According to him, the shortage is caused by increasing number of new large consumers, including conversion of thermal power plants to gas (TPP 1 and TPP 2 in Almaty), joining of new gas chemical facilities (Samruk-Kazyna Ondeu, WestGasOil etc.) and new commercial consumers to gas supply.

2^ndly, financial sustainability of the national gas operator is expected to deteriorate in 2022.
In 2021, QazaqGas managed to compensate for 162 bln tenge of domestic market losses due to transportation and export revenues.
Zharkeshov said:

• However, in 2022, gross profit will decrease to 62 bln tenge since the domestic market losses are expected to reach 176 bln tenge, and incomes will fall due to exports reduction
• We need to launch urgent measures
• From 2022 to 2030 commercial gas reserve base should be expanded
• By 2022 the available reserves made 25.6 bln m³ including 1.7 bln m³ produced by TCO which should be shifted to the domestic market

As he explained, there is no understanding with the TCO yet, since it intends to export gas, while the country needs additional volumes to assure domestic market.
Up to 200 mln m³ of gas will be produced at Urikhtau, Pridorozhnoye, Rozhkovskoye and other gas deposits beginning from 2023.

Due to this, gas output is expected to increase to 1.7 bln m³ by 2027.
Kashagan Gas Processing Plant with the capacity of 1 bln m³, is expected to produce 0.7 bln m³ from 2024.
Zharkeshov aded:

• From 2026, we plan to reduce gas re-injection at Tengiz and Karachaganak, as a result of which gas reserve base will increase to 5 bln m³