Kazakh oil output drops in April but remains well above OPEC+ quota

Kazakhstan’s oil production fell during the first half of April but remains well above its OPEC+ quota, following months of non-compliance with the output limits set by the alliance, Reuters reported on April 14.

Between April 1 and 13, the Central Asian nation produced around 1.82mn barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, excluding condensate – a 3% drop from March’s average, largely owing to lower output at the Chevron-led Tengiz field, a source told Reuters. Despite the decline, production still exceeds Kazakhstan’s April quota of 1.473mn bpd under the OPEC+ agreement.

Tengiz, Kazakhstan’s largest oilfield and a key driver of output growth, saw daily production decline to 111,000 tonnes (884,000 barrels) in early April, down from March’s average of 119,340 tonnes (950,000 barrels), the source said.

Chevron declined to comment, while Kazakhstan’s energy ministry did not respond to Reuters’ request.

According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, Kazakhstan produced 1.8mn bpd in March – up 30,000 bpd from February and 332,000 bpd above its OPEC+ quota of 1.468mn bpd. The rise was attributed to the expansion of Tengiz.

Kazakhstan has repeatedly breached its OPEC+ production targets, drawing criticism from other members of the alliance, which includes the OPEC cartel and non-OPEC producers led by Russia.

In response, the energy ministry said it would comply with the April quota and partially offset its previous overproduction. The ministry is currently identifying producers whose output could be reduced to meet the country’s commitments.

Besides Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, TotalEnergies and Eni also operate in Kazakhstan’s upstream sector, alongside national oil company Kazmunaigas (KMG) and various Chinese interests.

Kazakhstan has also faced challenges in crude exports. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which transports most of the country’s oil to Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, has been impacted by drone attacks and technical disputes. Russia reported a Ukrainian drone strike in February on a CPC pumping station and another suspected attack in March that set fire to a nearby oil depot. Moscow also temporarily restricted CPC export capacity, though operations were partially restored last week.

Despite the disruptions, Kazakhstan has said CPC pipeline flows have remained largely stable. The country remains committed to adhering to its 2025 OPEC+ quota and continues talks with oil producers to bring output in line with targets, according to the energy ministry.