Kazakhstan recorded a notable month-on-month rise in hydrocarbon production in April, with total oil and gas condensate output increasing by 16% to 2.17 million barrels per day from 1.87 million bpd in March, a source familiar with the statistics said.
The largest contribution to the jump came from the Tengiz field, where volumes climbed 39% to reach 973,000 bpd. Tengiz, located near the Caspian Sea in western Kazakhstan, has been restoring operations following a major power outage reported in January.
Tengiz is operated by Tengizchevroil, a joint venture with Chevron holding half of the venture. Exxon Mobil owns a 25% stake, KazMunayGaz holds 20% and Russia's Lukoil has a 5% interest.
Other major producing fields also registered increases in April. Output at Kashagan rose 9% to 414,000 bpd, while Karachaganak's production climbed 6% to 250,600 bpd. Requests for comment sent to the energy ministry and the operators of the major fields did not receive replies.
When gas condensate is excluded, crude oil production alone climbed to 1.93 million bpd in April from 1.64 million bpd in March. That level stands above Kazakhstan's OPEC+ quota for April of 1.579 million bpd. Kazakhstan represents more than 2% of global oil production.
Analysis
The month-on-month increases reflect a rebound in output at several of Kazakhstan's largest producing assets, most prominently Tengiz, where recovery from the January power disruption appears to have restored significant capacity. Gains at Kashagan and Karachaganak provided additional uplift to national volumes.
Crude-only production in April outpaced the country's OPEC+ quota, a fact that may draw attention from markets and policy observers given Kazakhstan's share of global output.
Key details at a glance
- Total oil and gas condensate output: 2.17 million bpd in April, up from 1.87 million bpd in March.
- Tengiz production: 973,000 bpd in April, up 39% month-on-month; field recovering from a January power outage.
- Crude-only output: 1.93 million bpd in April, versus 1.64 million bpd in March; above the April OPEC+ quota of 1.579 million bpd.
These figures were provided by a source familiar with the data; official confirmation from the energy ministry and field operators was not obtained prior to publication.