On October 20, Abdugani Sanginov, Chairman of the Board of Uzbekneftgaz, held a high-level meeting with a delegation from the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) led by President Zhou Xinhuai. According to the press service of the Uzbek company, the parties reviewed joint performance in strategic areas such as drilling, geological exploration, seismic surveys, enhanced gas recovery, digitalization, and the supply of modern equipment. Currently, Uzbekneftgaz cooperates with several CNPC subsidiaries, including Xibu, BGP, CCDC, and CNLC, across various operational sectors.
Officials noted that the total volume of cooperation with CNPC—encompassing import contracts, service agreements, and joint projects—has purportedly exceeded $1 billion. However, the exact breakdown of these funds by sector, the timeframe over which this figure accumulated, and the actual disbursed amounts were not specified in the official statements. A central focus of the negotiations was the ongoing effort to mitigate the aftermath of a severe industrial accident at the '25th Anniversary of Independence' (M-25) gas field in the Baysun district of the Surkhandarya region.
To recap, a catastrophic blowout occurred on September 1, 2024, at well No. 604 of the M-25 field during drilling operations, resulting in a massive release of hydrogen sulfide-rich gas and the tragic deaths of four workers. Local residents were evacuated as a result of the incident, though no subsequent criminal proceedings have been publicly reported. Furthermore, in March 2025, another gas leak was recorded at well No. 202, prompting authorities to deliberately ignite the gas to prevent further uncontrolled emissions. The M-25 field stands as Uzbekistan's largest undeveloped gas reserve, holding over 150 billion cubic meters of complex raw gas characterized by high carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide content.
Mitigation efforts at the disaster site involve drilling specialized relief wells utilizing the Chinese company CCDC, a CNPC subsidiary. Uzbek management previously claimed that after reviewing proposals from Russian, US, and South Korean entities, the Chinese technical solution was allegedly deemed the most favorable. Complete remediation of the accident site is targeted for the first half of 2027. Additionally, discussions touched upon diversifying supply sources for petroleum products to support the domestic Uzbek market, including a prospective long-term agreement for the supply of Jet A-1 aviation fuel from China.
The talks also addressed administrative cooperation, including a proposal to open a permanent CNPC representative office in Tashkent and strengthen coordination for joint industrial and social initiatives. Furthermore, the parties explored options to support the Tashkent branch of the Russian Gubkin State University of Oil and Gas to train engineering and technical specialists. Despite the extensive agenda, no specific new commercial contracts or binding agreements were officially announced following the conclusion of the meeting.
Source: www.gazeta.uz