ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 18. Kazakhstan lost around 16,000 tons of oil owing to the shutdown of production at a number of wells due to floods, Trend reports, citing the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan.
"Due to floods at a number of oil-producing enterprises in the Aktobe and Atyrau regions, the work of 634 wells was suspended, and the total loss of oil production amounted to 16,000 tons," the Ministry said.
According to the Ministry, as of today, 141 wells have been restored, but production is still suspended at 493 wells, of which 489 wells are suspended in the Aktobe region and four wells are suspended in the Atyrau region.
"Work is underway to restore production. In the gas industry, production is carried out in accordance with the planned indicator," the Ministry said.
The floods in Kazakhstan started in March, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency in eight regions at the local level. Tens of thousands of individuals were engaged in rescue efforts. More than 115,000 people have been evacuated in Kazakhstan since the beginning of the floods.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan produced 90 million tons of oil in 2023, which is 6.9 percent higher than in 2022. Oil exports also increased and amounted to 70.5 million tons, which is 9.6 percent more than the previous year.
Moreover, Kazakhstan plans to increase oil production in 2024 to 90.3 million tons.