The Energy Ministry of Kazakhstan is planning to boost the transit volume of Russian gas to Uzbekistan from the previously planned 3 billion cubic meters per year to 11 billion cubic meters starting in 2026, TASS reports.
Previously, Uztransgaz announced its intention to implement a program to modernize the main gas system to increase the volume of natural gas imports from the "north". This initiative is in line with the government's resolution on the measures to implement the investment program targeted for the first quarter of 2024.
Uzbekistan began importing gas from Russia through Kazakhstan in the northern direction starting on October 7, 2023.
In the first phase, from 2024 to 2030, the program is planned to be funded with an allocation of $500 million. With this funding, the supply volume is expected to increase to 32 million cubic meters per day (according to the current agreement with Russia's Gazprom, the volume was set at 9 million cubic meters per day, or 2.8 billion cubic meters annually, which was doubled in December).
Additionally, it is planned to increase the storage capacity of the "Gazli" gas storage in two phases. Accordingly, by the end of 2025 through exploration activities, the gas storage capacity at the "Gazli" facility is to be doubled from 3 billion cubic meters to 6 billion cubic meters. In the second phase, the storage facility will be completed and expanded, increasing the capacity up to 10 billion cubic meters. The total value of the project is estimated at $850 million.
Moreover, in November last year, Gazprom's CEO Alexey Miller stated that Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan were planning to reach agreements on gas supply and transit commitments for a period of 15 years by the middle of 2024.
