Orenburg Gas Processing Plant. Photo: pererabotka.gazprom.ru
The Orenburg Gas Processing Plant in Russia has suspended intake of gas from Kazakhstan’s major Karachaganak field after a drone attack. The announcement was made on October 19 via the Telegram channel of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy.
“The Russian side has not yet provided information on the extent of the damage or the timeline for restoring the plant’s operations,” the statement said.
The ministry added that gas supplies to consumers in Kazakhstan remain unaffected. Representatives of the Energy Ministry are in contact with their Russian counterparts and the field’s operators, closely monitoring the situation.
News of the drone strike on one of Russia’s largest natural gas processing plants broke on the morning of October 19. According to Orenburg Region Governor Yevgeny Solntsev, part of the plant’s infrastructure was damaged, and “a fire broke out in one of the workshops” following the drone impact. Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene. No casualties were reported.
The Karachaganak oil and gas condensate field in western Kazakhstan spans more than 280 square kilometers and is considered one of the largest in the world. Most of the oil extracted there is exported through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system. Under the terms of the production agreement, the field’s operator must reinject at least 40 percent of the extracted gas back into the reservoir to maintain output and efficiency. The remaining gas is sent to Russia’s Orenburg Gas Processing Plant, as the field itself lacks processing facilities.
To manage this operation, KazRosGas—a joint venture between Russia’s Gazprom and Kazakhstan’s KazMunayGas—was established. The company delivers raw gas from Karachaganak to the Orenburg plant for the production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The resulting fuel is exported through authorized traders, while part of the processed gas is returned to Kazakhstan.
Under existing agreements, up to 9 billion cubic meters of gas per year can be supplied from Karachaganak to the Orenburg plant through 2038.
