Kazakhstan to double its oil refining capacity in 15 years

According to him, in 2024 the country’s oil refining output made 17.9 million tons, and the plan for the current year remains at the same level.

The Minister noted that today the country’s oil refineries stand out for a high level of digitalization, with the application of American and Japanese automated process control systems - Honeywell and Yokogawa.

Under the Oil Refining Industry Development Concept, work has begun to increase oil refining volumes from 18 to 30 million tons per year between 2025 and 2032 through the projects aimed at expanding processing capacities.

“By 2040, a new large-capacity plant with an annual refining capacity of 10 million tons will be launched in a modern fuel-petrochemical configuration, bringing total refining capacity from 30 to 40 million tons. The new plant’s processing depth will reach 95 percent. The implementation of these projects will make it possible to fully meet the growing domestic demand for fuel and lubricants, as well as export petroleum products to neighboring countries,” the minister said.

In 2024, oil product output amounted to 14.52 million tons, and 14.55 million tons are planned to be produced this year.

“We expect that by 2040, oil product output will increase from 14.52 million to 29.2 million tons. Final production figures will depend on the completion of pre-design and design documentation, as well as demand on the domestic and foreign markets. In addition, by 2040 we expect a steady improvement in product quality - from the current K4 environmental standard to K5+, and exports to external markets,” the minister said.

Earlier, it was reported that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+, have decided to pause oil output increases in January, February and March 2026 due to seasonality.