ASTANA – Kazakhstan can make significant discoveries of new hydrocarbon deposits, with geologists identifying 15 sedimentary basins containing an estimated 76 billion tons of conditional fuel resources, said Chairman of the Committee of Geology of Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Construction Erlan Akbarov during the press conference at Central Communications Service on Dec. 12.
Photo credit: Ruslan Pryanikov
Kazakhstan’s mineral resource base includes solid minerals, groundwater, and hydrocarbons, with 355 hydrocarbon deposits present on the state’s balance sheet.
“Kazakhstan has significant prospects for the discovery of new hydrocarbon deposits. Currently, geologists identify 15 sedimentary basins with forecast resources of conditional fuel of about 76 billion tons,” said Akbarov.
“Today, the entire volume of oil and gas production falls on five developed basins. The largest of them is the Caspian basin, which accounts for about 80% of the country’s resource base. At the same time, five additional understudied sedimentary basins have significant prospects. These are the North-Turgai, Aral, Syrdarya, Shu-Sarysu and Priirtysh sedimentary basins. The unrealized hydrocarbon potential of these basins remains quite significant,” he added.
This year, regional studies are being completed using a range of geological and geophysical methods, including a 2D seismic survey in the Eastern and Western sections of the Aral basin, covering an area of 56,000 square kilometers. Based on the results, the forecasted resources of the Zapadny area are estimated at 800 million tons. Additionally, the geology committee will begin exploring the Syrdarya sedimentary basin later this year.
