Shell, Eni lose role in Karachaganak gas plant project

Photo: KazMunayGas

Kazakhstan is no longer considering the construction of a natural gas processing plant (NGPP) at Karachaganak under the current final production sharing agreement (FPSA), according to PSA, the country’s authorized body overseeing the project.

According to PSA, construction of the NGPP by the project operator is impractical from a technical, commercial and legal standpoint. Kazakhstan has now begun designing its own gas processing plant to handle Karachaganak gas in the interest of national energy security.

The agency clarified that the operator of the Karachaganak project, represented by Shell and Eni, failed to make a final investment decision on the NGPP. As a result, Kazakhstan has officially demanded that all work on the project be completed by May 2025.

In January, it was reported that Shell, Eni, Chevron and Lukoil lost a court case over cost deductions related to the Karachaganak project, with potential compensation to Kazakhstan estimated at $2 to $4 billion, although the consortium may still appeal. The construction of an NGPP with a capacity of up to 4 billion cubic meters per year had been considered a means of resolving Kazakhstan’s financial claims against the project shareholders under the FPSA.

Meanwhile, raw gas from Karachaganak is currently being sent to the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant in Russia for processing. Due to Ukrainian drone attacks and subsequent repairs in late 2025, the plant has periodically reduced the processing of Kazakh gas.

The Karachaganak field, discovered in 1979, is one of the largest gas condensate fields in the world. Under the FPSA, the KPO consortium — which includes Eni (29.25%), Shell (29.25%), Chevron (18%), Lukoil (13.5%) and KazMunayGas (10%) — is developing the field until 2038. Since the agreement was signed, more than $29.8 billion has been invested in the project.