Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekneftegaz expects to stabilize natural gas production by the end of 2026 through well repairs, sidetrack drilling and the commissioning of compressor stations, as new wells and facilities remain insufficient to offset declining output from mature fields.
The company's chief geologist, Nodir Mukhiddinov, outlined the situation at a press conference on 27 October.
Uzbekneftegaz and its subsidiaries produced approximately 17 billion cubic meters of natural gas in January–September 2026.
The company aims to increase cumulative production to 22.8 billion cubic meters by the end of the year.
For comparison, Uzbekneftegaz produced 25.2 billion cubic meters of gas in 2025. If the 2026 target is achieved, annual production will decline by approximately 9.5%.
Mukhiddinov identified the advanced depletion of reserves at major gas fields as one of the principal reasons for falling production.
More than 80% of recoverable reserves at these fields have already been extracted, contributing to a continued decline in output.
Additional gas volumes obtained through geological exploration and the development of new wells have so far been insufficient to compensate for production losses at existing fields.
At the beginning of 2026, daily natural gas production stood at 65 million cubic meters.
Since then, baseline daily production has declined by 12.6 million cubic meters, of which approximately 5 million cubic meters per day remain uncompensated.
To slow the decline, Uzbekneftegaz has independently carried out major overhauls and routine repairs at 79 wells since the beginning of the year.
The company intends to restore daily gas production to its early-2026 level before the end of December.
Its plans include further well rehabilitation, the commissioning of facilities identified through geological exploration and the launch of wellhead compressor stations.
Another priority is conducting technically complex well overhauls, including drilling sidetracks at previously decommissioned wells.
These measures are expected to help offset declining production at depleted gas fields and stabilize the company's overall natural gas output.
