President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on August 11 reviewed measures aimed at ensuring stability in the oil and gas market and maintaining an uninterrupted supply of hydrocarbons to the economy and the public.
The presentation covered the extraction, import, processing, storage and distribution of oil and gas to consumers.
Officials noted that expanding industrial capacity and rising consumer needs are driving up demand for natural gas and petroleum products. Given these conditions, they said, seasonal demand must be anticipated in advance, the domestic market must be supplied with the necessary volumes of resources, and unjustified price increases must be prevented.
Mirziyoyev called for precise calculations of the needs of individual industries and regions, prioritizing domestic demand, and adhering strictly to delivery schedules.
27 new wells to come online
The meeting separately addressed the efforts of state gas company Uzbekneftegaz to sustain natural gas production, make fuller use of existing fields and bring new wells into operation.
The company plans to commission 27 new wells in August. Work at the Yangi Kultak, Niyoz, Koratau, Marvarid and Tegirmon fields is expected to yield an additional 887,000 cubic meters of natural gas — roughly 1% of the average daily output of all gas-producing companies combined in June.
Uzbekneftegaz chairman Abdugani Sanginov had previously said August and September would be months of ramped-up gas production for the company.
Gazeta.uz has previously reported that average daily natural gas production fell in June to its lowest level since at least early 2022, dropping to 83.3 million cubic meters — down 19.3% from May and 26.8% year-on-year.
Mirziyoyev instructed officials to establish daily monitoring of all stages of the process, from drilling to connecting new wells to the gas transportation network, and to ensure uninterrupted power supply and production infrastructure. He also stressed the need to supply oil and gas enterprises with raw materials on a consistent basis, make more efficient use of existing capacity, and boost output of products in high demand domestically.
Preventing artificial shortages
Officials responsible for the sector were instructed to deliver hydrocarbon resources to the regions in the required volumes and on schedule, and to build up reserves in advance. Companies involved in the extraction, transport and sale of oil and gas products were also told to coordinate their operations more closely.
To keep prices stable, the government plans to maintain an adequate level of market supply, list products on commodity exchanges based on demand, and cut production and logistics costs. A separate directive calls for stepped-up oversight to prevent unjustified restrictions on supply, the creation of artificial shortages, and any attempt to inflate prices.
Liquefied gas output to exceed earlier target
To keep supply and demand balanced on the domestic market, Uzbekneftegaz has been instructed to meet its projected oil and gas production targets. The company has also been ordered to raise liquefied gas output to 606,000 tons by the end of 2026, up from a previously planned 520,000 tons.
On January 12, Mirziyoyev had already ordered Uzbekneftegaz to raise daily gas production from 66 million to 70 million cubic meters and to produce at least 25.4 billion cubic meters of gas in 2026 — a target only slightly above the company's actual 2025 output of 25.2 billion cubic meters. That figure had come in 1.3 billion cubic meters short of the original 26.5-billion-cubic-meter forecast.
Uzbekneftegaz has repeatedly scaled back its production targets in recent years. The 2022 forecast of 34 billion cubic meters was missed, with actual output reaching 32.2 billion. The 2023 target was cut from 34.1 billion to 32.3 billion cubic meters, while the plan for 2024 was set at 29.3 billion cubic meters.
For 2026-2027, authorities have set a goal of stabilizing gas production and carrying out more than 300 geological and technical projects. In January, officials were also instructed to improve the efficiency of geological exploration, expand reserves, and put Uzbekneftegaz on a sounder financial footing.
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