CNPC seeks more favorable conditions for investing in Kazakhstan's new gas projects

ALMATY. Sept 29 (Interfax) - China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) recommends that Kazakhstan create favorable conditions in order to boost investment in new gas projects, CNPC International Kazakhstan general director Li Yonghong said at the Kazakhstan International Oil and Gas Exhibition (KIOGE) 2022.

"It is necessary to develop a more reasonable gas pricing policy for associated gas, whose processing currently faces difficulties," Li Yonghong said.

"Kazakhstan's legislation on gas and gas supplies should provide a definition of a 'gas cap', which is currently not taken into account in terms of field resources. Developing fields with gas caps requires special infrastructure. The current pricing policy does not provide for an efficient use of these resources," Li Yonghong said.

CNPC operates through CNPC-Aktobemunaigas in Kazakhstan. CNPC-Aktobemunaigas has built three gas-processing plants. In 2009-2015, the main Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline was laid, which is part of the cross-border Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline. The three lines have throughput capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

Transit of Central Asian gas totaled 48.5 bcm in 2021.