The Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) have signed a memorandum of cooperation on the construction of an underground gas storage (UGS) facility, Gazeta.uz reported, citing the ministry’s press service.
The facility is planned to be built at the Korabayir field in the Kasbi district of Kashkadarya region. According to preliminary research, the 12th horizon of the Korabayir deposit was identified as the optimal site for the project.
The ministry noted that the future storage facility will be capable of holding up to 1.5 billion cubic meters of active natural gas. Experts emphasize that such capacity has strategic importance for ensuring energy supply stability and managing seasonal fluctuations in gas consumption.
Talks on underground gas storage between Uzbekistan and CNPC date back to January 2024, when President Shavkat Mirziyoyev discussed with the corporation’s leadership the prospects of building new storage facilities, modernizing gas transportation systems, and introducing advanced drilling technologies. The issue was revisited in September 2025.
CNPC is already a key partner in Uzbekistan’s energy sector. Through a joint venture with Uzbekneftegaz, it built part of the Central Asia–China gas pipeline, participates in the development of the Mingbulak oil field, and is involved in several gas condensate fields in the Bukhara region. In 2024, the company also launched modernization works at the Bukhara oil refinery.
Currently, Uzbekistan operates two UGS facilities: Gazli in the Romitan district of Bukhara region and Khojaabad in Andijan region. In October 2024, Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov announced that Gazli’s capacity, managed by Gazli Gas Storage (linked to businessman Bakhtiyor Fazylov), had been expanded from 3 to 4.5 billion cubic meters, with plans to double it to 6 billion by 2025. Khojaabad’s storage capacity is 900 million cubic meters, with plans to expand it to 1.05 billion.
Uzbekistan has also discussed with Kyrgyzstan the possibility of restarting the North Sokh UGS facility in Fergana region, which has been idle since May 2011. Its volume is estimated at 2.5–3 billion cubic meters.
CentralasianLight.org
September 30, 2025