Uzbekistan to Boost Gas Production with New Technologies and Exploration

Measures to stabilize and subsequently increase gas production were discussed during a meeting chaired by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, according to the presidential press service, The Caspian Post reports citing Interfax.

JSC Uzbekneftegaz Board Chairman Bakhodirjon Sidikov presented an update on the work carried out this year and outlined priority tasks for 2025, the press service said. Several projects are underway in collaboration with foreign companies, Sidikov said. "Together with these companies, we have developed projects to stabilize gas production volumes for next year. In particular, new production wells will be drilled and existing ones will be repaired using modern technologies," Sidikov was quoted as saying.

It was noted at the meeting that the main issue within the sector is the long-standing lack of attention to geological exploration activities. As a result, some fields are nearly depleted, while the efficiency of others remains low. "To address this issue, modern technologies will be introduced, and exploration at 15 prospective sites will be launched. The area of seismic surveys will be expanded to 6,500 square kilometers," the press service said.

The officials responsible were instructed to develop a program for advancing geology and exploring new fields in 2025, and to involve major foreign companies and experts in this work.

The transformation of JSC Uzbekneftegaz will continue, with key goals including cost reduction and improving the company's international credit rating, it said. Funds from international sources will be sought next year to finance production and exploration projects.

Addressing personnel issues is very important alongside investments and new technologies, Mirziyoyev said. Instructions were given to improve the quality of education and training for specialists and to invite qualified Uzbek professionals working abroad.

Uzbekneftegaz is a vertically integrated company uniting more than 50 specialized organizations, including 13 joint ventures and 10 subdivisions for extracting and processing hydrocarbons, as well as various non-production and scientific and technical units.