Tengizchevroil (TCO) has officially commenced oil production at the Future Growth Project (FGP) located in the Tengiz oil field in western Kazakhstan. This milestone marks a significant step in enhancing the field’s production capacity. It also secures long-term output for the country.

Expansion of Tengiz Field’s Production Capacity

The Future Growth Project is part of a broader $46.7 billion investment. This includes the Wellhead Pressure Management Project (WPMP). Together, these initiatives aim to increase crude oil production from the Tengiz field by 12 million tonnes annually. This will raise its total output capacity to around 40 million tonnes per year.

This expansion is expected to provide substantial economic benefits for Kazakhstan through increased taxes, royalties, and other direct payments. It will reinforce the country’s position as a key crude oil exporter on the global stage.

The third-generation plant (3GP), a vital component of the project, has now been commissioned. This marks the beginning of enhanced oil production. The 3GP infrastructure features advanced facilities, including five Frame 9 gas turbine generators and four large compression trains. It also has added pumping capacity, all controlled from a centralised facility.

Future Growth Project’s Role in Kazakhstan’s Oil Sector

The Future Growth Project, along with the WPMP, focuses on optimising wellhead pressure and improving the performance of the field’s processing plants. The combined projects aim to stabilize the reservoir pressure, ensuring long-term production. By employing enhanced sour gas handling and reinjection techniques, the project will maintain production stability. This will enable an additional 260,000 barrels per day, with an overall target of one million barrels of oil equivalent daily output once fully operational.

Kevin Lyon, General Director of Tengizchevroil, highlighted the complexity and scale of the project. He acknowledged the contributions of Kazakhstan’s government, shareholders, contractors, and the workforce that helped reach this key milestone.

The Tengiz oil field, situated in the Atyrau region, is renowned for being the world’s deepest producing supergiant oil field. It is also the largest single-trap producing reservoir. This further emphasizes the significance of this development.