Uzbekistan plans to stabilize the current sharp decline in hydrocarbon production in 2026 through the launch of new fields, Minister of Energy Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov said at a session of the legislative chamber on December 11.
Mirzamakhmudov states, the energy sector continues to face challenges due to the natural depletion of existing resources. He noted that despite ongoing efforts, production rates and reservoir pressure are declining at the majority of operating fields. “In 85% of our fields, taking into account the degree of depletion, production rates and pressure are falling sharply,” Mirzamakhmudov said.
To address the situation, additional personnel and funding have been allocated to geological exploration in prospective regions on the instruction of the president. As a result of this work, a new gas field was discovered in the Ustyurt region of Karakalpakstan, near the Muynak area. The minister stated that the field has already been connected to the gas system, and the commissioning of two wells has enabled additional gas production of 3 mn cubic meters per day.
The Ministry of Energy plans to drill seven more wells at the site by the end of the year. Infrastructure connections are currently underway, alongside preparations to integrate the new wells into the existing system.
Mirzamakhmudov also reported the start of cooperation with Azerbaijan’s SOCAR on exploration activities, while Uzbekneftegaz continues to implement its own exploration and production projects.
The minister emphasized that the launch of new fields is expected to help stabilize production levels next year. “We hope that in the coming year it will be possible to stabilize the observed trend of a sharp decline in production through the commissioning of new fields,” he said.
