The ownership structure of Sozak Oil and Gas, a gas producer planning to develop fields in the South Kazakhstan protected zone, has undergone a major transformation.
How the ownership structure changed
During the first half of 2026, the company’s principal shareholder significantly reduced its stake, while five new investors acquired shares. Over the same period, Sozak Oil and Gas’ net loss increased nearly 17-fold to 1.1 billion tenge (about $2.5 million).
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According to the company’s financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2026, Netherlands-based Sino–Science Netherlands Petroleum B.V., which previously controlled 49.2% of the shares, reduced its stake to 12%. At the same time, its affiliated company, Sino–Science Netherlands Energy Group B.V., increased its stake from 7.859% to 10.495%.
Yongyou Technology Services Limited emerged as the largest shareholder of Sozak Oil and Gas, acquiring an 18% stake. Other new shareholders include:
- Global Petro Ventures Limited — 9.2%.
- Wisestrategy Capital Management Pte. Ltd. — 4%.
- Summit Peak Capital Investment Pte. Ltd. — 3%.
- Richfort Global Capital Management Pte. Ltd. — 3%.
Singapore-based Singapore Charter Power Pte. Ltd. (17%) and Singapore Starlights Energy Investment Pte. Ltd. (5.855%) retained their stakes, as did Kazakhstan’s Maten Petroleum JSC (10%) and Luck Gain International Limited (5.45%). UFirst Energy Group Limited reduced its stake from 4.636% to 2%.
Yonyou Technology Services is a major Chinese provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, cloud services and digital transformation solutions. Despite being registered in the Netherlands, Sino–Science Netherlands is linked to Chinese investors participating in oil and gas projects in Kazakhstan.
Financial results
In the first half of 2026, Sozak Oil and Gas posted a net loss of 1.1 billion tenge, compared with 65.5 million tenge in the same period of 2025.
The company’s operating loss for the six-month period was 72.08 million tenge, compared with 78 million tenge a year earlier. Meanwhile, foreign exchange losses reached 1.16 billion tenge (1,158,434 thousand tenge).
As of June 30, 2026, the company’s total assets were valued at 73.95 billion tenge. Of this amount, 68.16 billion tenge consisted of exploration and evaluation assets.
Gas fields in the protected zone
The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan previously published a draft government resolution authorizing Sozak Oil and Gas to produce gas from six fields: Asa, Kendirlik, Ortalyk, Oppak, Tamgalytar and Pridorozhnoye Yuzhnoye. The company’s corporate materials identify these fields as part of its hydrocarbon exploration and trial-production activities in the Turkestan region.
All six fields are located within the South Kazakhstan State Protected Zone. Under Kazakhstan’s law, mineral extraction on such land is permitted only «in exceptional cases, based on a government decision.»
