BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Kazakhstan's
national oil and gas company KazMunayGas (KMG) and China's China
National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) have discussed the
expansion of bilateral cooperation and the progress of joint
projects, KMG reported.
The discussions took place in Beijing during a meeting between
KMG Chairman Askhat Khassenov and CNOOC Chairman Zhang
Chuanjiang.
"Particular attention was paid to the long-term strategic
partnership between KMG and CNOOC subsidiaries. KMG Drilling &
Services and China Oilfield Services Limited (COSL) are
strengthening cooperation in drilling and oilfield services for
international projects. The companies will also expand
collaboration in drilling, well services, technology transfer,
local content development, and workforce training through a
dedicated educational program," KMG said.
According to the company, KMG Engineering and COSL have also
launched joint work on introducing advanced technologies for field
development, drilling, and well workover operations.
The meeting further reviewed the implementation of the Zhylyoi
exploration project, located in the transit zone of the
northeastern Caspian Sea.
KMG said the project is currently in the active implementation
phase, with 400 linear kilometers of historical 2D seismic data
undergoing reprocessing and reinterpretation. A
400-square-kilometer 3D seismic survey is scheduled to begin before
the end of 2026.
As previously reported, the Zhylyoi project is being implemented
on a 50:50 basis, with CNOOC financing the exploration phase. KMG
noted that the project marks the first investment by a major
Chinese company in geological exploration in Kazakhstan.
The two sides also discussed opportunities for cooperation on
other promising exploration projects in Kazakhstan and reaffirmed
their commitment to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation
across key areas.
