Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Kazakhstan has achieved an oil inflow with the flow-rate of 60 tons per day on the Zhambyl structure while testing an exploration well.

"This is a very happy event for oil industry workers and all of us," Kazakh Oil and Gas Minister Uzakbay Karabalin said at a meeting with President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

According to him, study of the structure will be continued.

"However, now one can talk about the discovery of a new deposit and I would like to congratulate you," the minister added.

Karabalin went on to say that in the first half of 2013 Kazakhstan produced more than 40 million tons of oil and gas condensate.

In the first half of 2013, production of oil and gas condensate stood at over 40 million tons, accounting for 101.8 percent of the figure reported in the corresponding period of 2012, the minister said.

According to him, the production of natural and associated gas is also on schedule.

"Plans for the export of oil and gas production are generally met and individual indicators will be aligned by the end of the year," Karabalin said.

Kazakhstan's largest hydrocarbon fields are Kashagan, Tengiz and Karachaganak.

Recoverable oil reserves of Kashagan field are estimated at 11 billion barrels, whereas total geological raw material reserves stand at 35 billion barrels. It is believed to be the largest oil field in the world after Prudo Bay in Alaska. Besides, natural gas reserves are estimated at over 1 trillion cubic meters.

The commencement of commercial production at Kashagan is expected by mid-2013. The first phase of the project envisions the volume of production at around 370,000 barrels of oil per day with a possible increase to 450,000 barrels. The second phase envisages increasing production to 375,000 bpd within at least three years.

The Tengiz oil field was discovered in 1979 and is one of the deepest and largest oil fields in the world. Reserves of the deposit are estimated at 750 million to 1.1 billion tons (6-9 billion barrels) of recoverable oil.

Karachaganak is one of the world's largest fields. Its oil reserves amount to 1.2 billion tons, while those of natural gas - 1.35 trillion cubic meters. 49 percent of Kazakhstan's gas production and 18 percent of oil production comes from this field.