BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31. KazMunayGas CEO
Askhat Khassenov has instructed the company to continue
implementing technological and digital solutions, with a focus on
its production efficiency and further scaling.
This was announced by the press service of KazMunayGas (KMG),
following CEO Khassenov’s visit to the production facilities of
Ozenmunaigas (OMG), where new technologies are being introduced,
and a meeting was held on their further application to enhance the
development of the Uzen and Karamandybas fields.
"Hydraulic fracturing remains a key technology for increasing
oil production. It is carried out annually at around 400 wells,
generating more than 500,000 tons of oil per year. The company
continues to improve the technology in line with global best
practices. In 2025, Ozenmunaigas successfully conducted
foam-nitrogen hydraulic fracturing and hydraulic fracturing using
synthetic fluids, with their commercial-scale rollout beginning
this year," the KMG said.
For mature fields such as Uzen and Karamandybas, a key priority
is to slow the decline in production and reduce water cut. To this
end, OMG is implementing a range of polymer-based technologies.
In particular, the company has optimized the water-alternating
profile modification technology using polymer injection. Treatment
parameters are selected individually for each well based on
reservoir properties and the characteristics of the chemical agents
used. This approach has helped reduce the cost of operations by
half, while the annual production effect from the technology
amounts to around 200,000 tons of oil.
Pilot industrial testing of polymer flooding is also underway to
increase oil recovery and reduce water cut. Successful results will
allow the technology to be scaled up in areas with highly depleted
reserves.
Horizontal drilling is another promising area. The technology
increases the contact area between the well and the reservoir and
allows additional reserves to be brought into production. Four
wells have been selected for the project.
Work is also continuing on sidetracking, which enables inactive
wells to be returned to operation. More than 15 wells have been
selected for this work.
Another key objective is to extend the mean time between well
workovers. The number of wells equipped with electric submersible
pump systems has reached 500. More reliable downhole equipment,
including coated tubing and sucker rods, is being introduced at
wells requiring frequent repairs. Pilot industrial testing of
electric screw pumps has also begun.
Particular attention during the meeting was paid to the
digitalization of production processes and the use of artificial
intelligence. OMG is developing a digital twin of its assets based
on the ABAI information system, covering production, geology and
field development, capital construction and surface facilities.
Since June 2026, the Electronic Transport Requests system has
been in operation, with more than 12,800 applications submitted and
processed.
At the West Tenge facility, modernization of instrumentation and
the automated process control system has been completed.
Monitoring, control, and visualization of production data are
carried out through a SCADA system.
OMG also operates an Electronic Work Permit system and is
introducing the TUMAR video analytics tool aimed at improving
occupational safety.
As part of Kazakhstan's Year of Digitalization and Artificial
Intelligence, KMG will continue scaling digital solutions across
its facilities, the company said.
