Kazakhstan to Boost Gas Transit to Uzbekistan to 11 Bn M³
Kazakhstan is fully prepared to facilitate a significant increase in the transit of Russian natural gas to Uzbekistan, potentially raising the annual volume to 11 bn cubic metres.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, senior Kazakh Energy Ministry official Erlan Akkenzhenov confirmed that his country has the necessary capacity to handle the increased flow.
«We have such an opportunity, it all depends on the transport infrastructure,» Akkenzhenov stated. «Everything is ready on the Kazakh side. Now, as far as I know, the Russian side is holding independent negotiations with Uzbekistan.»
The potential surge in gas transit requires significant logistical coordination across Central Asia. In early June Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak revealed that Moscow is actively engaged in discussions with both Tashkent and Astana. These ongoing talks are primarily focused on modernising the existing regional gas transport networks to accommodate higher supply capacities safely and efficiently.
The push for increased capacity follows a period of rapid growth in regional energy trade. The Russian energy giant Gazprom recently reported a 15% increase in gas deliveries to Uzbekistan routed through Kazakh territory. Last year alone the nation imported 6.5 bn cubic metres of Russian gas to meet its domestic energy demands.
The current energy relationship was formalised recently. Russia officially commenced gas exports to Uzbekistan in the autumn of 2023 following a bilateral agreement signed between Moscow and Tashkent earlier that summer. Under the existing contractual terms the Russian Federation is obligated to supply Uzbekistan with 7.7 bn cubic metres of natural gas annually.
