The Kazakh Ministry of Energy plans to start exporting domestic gas to China this year.
Photo credit: kapital.kz
At present, 18,000 kilometres of main and 30,000 kilometres of distribution gas pipelines have been built, which to date have transported 173 billion cubic metres of transit gas, including 35 billion cubic metres last year, and additional capacities of the Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline are being introduced.
The linear part of the Beineu-Bozoi-Shymkent gas pipeline has been built and about five billion cubic metres of gas have already been transported, including two billion cubic metres in 2016.
“The design capacity of the pipeline will be brought up to 10 billion cubic metres, which will allow the country to start exporting its gas to China if the relevant agreements are signed. In addition, the possibility of transit of Russian gas to China via the existing gas transportation system of Kazakhstan is being considered,” said Minister of Energy Kanat Bozumbayev at the ministry meeting on Feb. 20 on the results of 2016.
Speaking about those results, he noted the volume of gas production was 46.4 billion cubic metres, most of which was provided by deposits in the East Kazakhstan and Atyrau regions. Expectations for this year are to produce up to 48.1 billion cubic metres of gas, including up to 18 billion cubic metres at Karachaganak, up to 14.5 billion cubic metres at Tengiz and up to 3.1 billion cubic metres at Kashagan.
“In general, the gas industry has good development momentum. In 2016, we exceeded our planned production of both commercial and liquefied gas; in 2017, the production of marketable gas will be increased to 29 billion cubic metres and liquefied gas by 2.7 million tonnes,” he added.
During past three years, the consumption of liquefied gas has grown by 65 percent and gas sales for motorists’ needs have grown annually from 100,000 tonnes to 450,000 tonnes, said Bozumbayev.
“This is one of the current measures to replace the existing import dependence on foreign fuel. Gas is significantly cheaper than gasoline and solves many environmental problems,” he noted.
He also spoke about the stage-by-stage gasification of the country with natural gas. Taldykorgan will be gasified for the first time this year when the main gas pipeline is put into operation.
“Today, over eight million people have access to gas; in percentage terms, it is 46.3 percent of the population of our country. In 2016, 50 settlements of six regions were gasified: West Kazakhstan, Kostanai, Zhambyl, Mangistau, Aktobe and Kyzylorda. This year, we plan to gasify eight settlements in the relevant areas – this will affect about 72,000 people,” said Bozumbayev.
