Kazakhstani company to export oil to China

Ken-Ai-Oil Kyzylorda, owned by Kenelbek Igenbayev and Sabyr Seitkhanov, is set to export oil extracted in the Syrdariya district of the Kyzylorda region to China. 

«What we are planning to do is to develop the Taykazan oil field… The export route to China may be established via the Kumkol-Atasu-Alashankou pipeline with the oil receiving and processing point at the Kumkol oil field,» the company said in a statement, commenting on planned activities at the Taykazan oil field. 

The oil field lies 55 kilometers southwest of Kumkol. The enterprise has proposed three ways to develop the Taykazan oil field.

The first option suggests developing the oil field by reactivating six previously drilled wells and infilling the well pattern on two sites by adding four more wells. The second option is similar to the first one but includes a plan to use two wells for water injection  once they are no longer productive.

The third option builds on the second one but requires one more well to convert from producer to injector. The depth of the wells will range between 1,300 meters and 2,260 meters. The oil recovery is set to launch in 2025, while in 2030 the water is planned to be injected in place. According to the company, the second option will provide the best profit rate and revenue for the government. (Specific figures were not provided.)

According to the subsoil user’s plans, most of the associated dissolved gas, after being dehydrated in the gas separator, is used for the company’s internal needs. This includes powering wellhead heaters, reheating furnaces, BuranBoiler CRONUS boilers and the Shengdong gas engine generator plant. However, some gas will be flared as required for technological purposes. The company said that this unavoidable gas flaring will occur from 2025 to 2034. Oil production is planned to run from 2025 to 2047. The 2024 contract area covers 11.4 square kilometers.

In June, the enterprise revealed its plans to cease operations at several facilities by 2048, following the completion of production. These include 19 wells in the Kenbulak field (Syrdaria district), 11 wells in the Taykazan field and a group unit with an annual capacity of 73,600 tons of oil.

In late 2021, the company announced that it would continue trial development of the Kenbulak field until July 2023. The enterprise had secured the contract for hydrocarbon exploration in 2004.