"Uzbekneftgaz" signed a contract with a Chinese company for drilling 30 wells.
Within the framework of the project, 10 drilling rigs have been brought in, and wells will be drilled at a depth of 5500-6000 meters.
"Uzbekneftegaz" has signed a contract with China's XIBU company, part of the CNPC national corporation, for the drilling of 30 wells in 2026-2027. The company's press service reported this.
According to the agreement, 10 drilling rigs with a lifting capacity of up to 450 tons will be brought to Uzbekistan to carry out the drilling work.
The project is being implemented as a result of negotiations held with leading oil and gas companies during the working visit of "Uzbekneftegaz" Chairman of the Board Abdurashid Sanginov to China. Earlier, the parties had also discussed long-term cooperation opportunities for drilling a total of 105 wells in Uzbekistan during 2026-2029.
According to the company, the new wells will be drilled in areas identified as promising for natural gas reserves. Their depth is expected to be around 5500-6000 meters.
It was also noted that some wells may experience pressures of up to 1000 atmospheres and temperatures of up to 200 degrees.
It is emphasized that the project will ensure safe drilling in complex geological conditions, expand geological exploration, and serve to increase the country's gas reserves.
Earlier, on January 12, Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on the future plans of "Uzbekneftegaz" and gave a number of instructions to strengthen energy security and increase gas production volumes.
Furthermore, Deputy Minister of Mining Industry and Geology Ural Sa'dullayev announced that it is planned to allocate at least 30 promising areas to "Uzbekneftegaz" for conducting geological exploration starting from 2026.
Also, in February, Uzbekneftegaz discussed expanding cooperation with China's BGP Yuhang and China National Petroleum Corporation on seismic exploration, drilling, and technologies.
The discussions planned to conduct research in the Mubarek and Ustyurt regions in 2026 and carry out 3D seismic surveys over an area of at least 6.5 thousand square kilometers.
