Kazakhstan forecasts 98 mln tons of oil production in 2026
Kazakhstan expects to produce 98 million tons of oil in 2026, Qazinform News Agency quotes Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov as saying at a Government's meeting.
According to the Ministry of Energy, Kazakhstan produced 45.7 million tons of oil in the first half of the year, or 91.6% of the volume recorded during the same period in 2025.
"Negotiations are underway with major subsoil users on measures to increase oil production," Akkenzhenov said.
The minister said scheduled maintenance at the Kashagan oil field had been postponed to help make up for earlier production shortfalls, a move expected to recover up to 2 million tons of oil output.
As a result, projected production losses have already been reduced from 4.9 million to 3.3 million tons, he said.
Oil refining totaled 8.98 million tons in the first half of the year, reaching 97.9% of the level recorded a year earlier. Refining output is forecast to reach 18.2 million tons by the end of 2026.
Natural gas production reached 31.4 billion cubic meters in the first six months of the year, or 95.9% of the volume produced during the same period in 2025. Full-year output is projected at 64.5 billion cubic meters.
"One of the gas sector's key priorities is the implementation of new infrastructure projects. By the end of this year, construction of the linear section of the first phase of the second string of the Beineu–Bozoy–Shymkent main gas pipeline is expected to be completed. In the longer term, the project will expand the country's gas transportation infrastructure and help ensure a stable gas supply to the regions," Akkenzhenov said.
Commercial gas production totaled 12.2 billion cubic meters in the first half of the year, or 87.1% of the level recorded in the same period of 2025. The ministry expects the figure to reach 27.5 billion cubic meters by year-end.
Coal output also continued to grow. Kazakhstan produced 58.9 million tons in the first half of the year, up 12.4% from a year earlier, while exports climbed 4.1% in the first four months to 10.1 million tons.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that China led global offshore wind with 78% of new capacity in 2025.