Uzbekneftegaz expects its gas production to fall by 9.5% this year as reserves at its largest fields become heavily depleted, chief geologist Nodir Mukhiddinov said at a press conference on October 27.
The company and its affiliated enterprises produced about 17 billion cubic meters of gas in January-September. Uzbekneftegaz plans to reach 22.8 billion cubic meters for the full year, down 2.4 billion from 25.2 billion in 2025.
Depletion exceeds 80% at some large fields, and new wells have not yet offset the decline, Mukhiddinov said.
“Output from new exploration and wells at new fields is not yet enough to fully offset this decline,” he said, according to a Gazeta correspondent.
Daily output stood at about 65 million cubic meters at the start of the year. Base production at existing fields has since fallen by 12.6 million cubic meters per day, and about 5 million cubic meters remains unreplaced, he said.
The company plans to stabilize output by year-end and return to the 65 million level, Mukhiddinov said. Even so, it forecasts that total 2026 production will stay below last year’s.
Since January, Uzbekneftegaz has carried out major and routine repairs on 79 wells. It plans more repairs, new wells, wellhead compressor stations and sidetrack drilling to restore idled wells.
Mukhiddinov said the company sees the greatest potential for new discoveries in the Ustyurt region, but exploration is becoming more difficult and costly.
“We used to discover fields at depths of up to 3,000-3,500 meters, but now we are working at depths of more than 5,000 meters,” he said.
At such depths, pressure can reach 1,000 atmospheres and temperatures 200 degrees, requiring specialized equipment that few companies worldwide possess, he said.
Background
In 2026, Uzbekneftegaz received licenses for 42 new investment blocks and plans to expand seismic exploration almost fivefold, to 11,900 square kilometers. Prospecting has begun at 17 new sites, with 22 targeted by year-end. Gas reserves grew by about 12.5 billion cubic meters in the period, against an annual target of 25 billion. The company says higher reserves do not automatically mean higher output, as wells must be drilled, tested and connected to infrastructure first.
