ASTANA – The Kazakh capital hosted the two-day international Geological Forum Geoscience & Exploration Central Asia on April 2-3, bringing together industry experts and officials to discuss developments in exploration and resource management, Kazinform reported.
Kazakhstan’s Kashagan oilfield in the Atyrau Region. Photo credit: North Caspian Operating Company’s (NCOC) Facebook account.
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov outlined plans to establish a modern geological cluster in Astana, including an analytical laboratory, a mineral repository and a geological information fund.
“The cluster will combine human and technical resources and become a center of geological competence, stimulating research activity,” Bektenov said.
He noted that exploration financing has increased tenfold and is expected to reach around $500 million over the next three years. At the same time, the launch of a unified subsurface use platform has improved transparency and access to services.
“The process of granting subsurface use rights based on the ‘first-come, first-served’ principle has been significantly simplified in line with international best practices. Over the past three years, this has helped attract around 280 billion tenge (US$592 million) in private investment into exploration,” he said.
During the forum, Deputy Chairman of the Board of KazMunayGas Kurmangazy Iskaziyev announced the discovery of a large carbonate massif in Kazakhstan with potential comparable to that of the Kashagan field.
He said the Zhylyoi carbonate platform, which includes the Karaton, Kazhygali and Zhylyoi sites, has become a key exploration area.
“The Karaton, Kazhygali and Zhylyoi carbonate massif mirrors the structure of the Kashagan field. Its resource potential is estimated at 4.7 billion tons of hydrocarbons, comparable to Kashagan. However, unlike Kashagan, which is offshore and requires significant capital investment, this massif is located on land, reducing development costs,” Iskaziyev said.
The overall resource potential of the Zhylyoi carbonate massif is estimated at around 20 billion tons of standard fuel. A 5,750-meter-deep well has been drilled at the Karaton site with positive results, and five promising areas have been identified.
Following the successful drilling at Karaton, exploration is expected to expand to the Kazhygali site, with negotiations underway to secure a subsurface use contract, Iskaziyev added.
