BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31. KazMunayGas CEO Askhat Khassenov has instructed the company to continue implementing technological and digital solutions, with a focus on its production efficiency and further scaling.

This was announced by the press service of KazMunayGas (KMG), following CEO Khassenov’s visit to the production facilities of Ozenmunaigas (OMG), where new technologies are being introduced, and a meeting was held on their further application to enhance the development of the Uzen and Karamandybas fields.

"Hydraulic fracturing remains a key technology for increasing oil production. It is carried out annually at around 400 wells, generating more than 500,000 tons of oil per year. The company continues to improve the technology in line with global best practices. In 2025, Ozenmunaigas successfully conducted foam-nitrogen hydraulic fracturing and hydraulic fracturing using synthetic fluids, with their commercial-scale rollout beginning this year," the KMG said.

For mature fields such as Uzen and Karamandybas, a key priority is to slow the decline in production and reduce water cut. To this end, OMG is implementing a range of polymer-based technologies.

In particular, the company has optimized the water-alternating profile modification technology using polymer injection. Treatment parameters are selected individually for each well based on reservoir properties and the characteristics of the chemical agents used. This approach has helped reduce the cost of operations by half, while the annual production effect from the technology amounts to around 200,000 tons of oil.

Pilot industrial testing of polymer flooding is also underway to increase oil recovery and reduce water cut. Successful results will allow the technology to be scaled up in areas with highly depleted reserves.

Horizontal drilling is another promising area. The technology increases the contact area between the well and the reservoir and allows additional reserves to be brought into production. Four wells have been selected for the project.

Work is also continuing on sidetracking, which enables inactive wells to be returned to operation. More than 15 wells have been selected for this work.

Another key objective is to extend the mean time between well workovers. The number of wells equipped with electric submersible pump systems has reached 500. More reliable downhole equipment, including coated tubing and sucker rods, is being introduced at wells requiring frequent repairs. Pilot industrial testing of electric screw pumps has also begun.

Particular attention during the meeting was paid to the digitalization of production processes and the use of artificial intelligence. OMG is developing a digital twin of its assets based on the ABAI information system, covering production, geology and field development, capital construction and surface facilities.

Since June 2026, the Electronic Transport Requests system has been in operation, with more than 12,800 applications submitted and processed.

At the West Tenge facility, modernization of instrumentation and the automated process control system has been completed. Monitoring, control, and visualization of production data are carried out through a SCADA system.

OMG also operates an Electronic Work Permit system and is introducing the TUMAR video analytics tool aimed at improving occupational safety.

As part of Kazakhstan's Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, KMG will continue scaling digital solutions across its facilities, the company said.