Kazakhstan’s second-largest oil producer temporarily halts output after fire

Kazakh oil producer Tengizchevroil (TCO), led by Chevron, announced that it had temporarily suspended production at its Tengiz and Korolev oilfields after a problem affected power distribution systems.

The announcement followed a fire reported by Kazakhstan’s state-owned KazMunayGas at a power station at the Tengiz field, which was extinguished. KazMunayGas confirmed that staff were safely evacuated and no injuries occurred. The fire reportedly erupted at a turbine transformer, and authorities are investigating the cause.

“Tengizchevroil (TCO) confirms that, as a precautionary measure, it has temporarily shut in production at its Tengiz and Korolev oil fields,” TCO said in a statement. “This is due to an issue which has affected some of the site power distribution systems. There have been no injuries, and the safety of personnel remains the highest priority.”

The company added that it is working closely with government authorities to mitigate the impact and emphasized that the Tengiz field and facilities remain safe and secure.

The suspension comes amid broader operational challenges for Kazakhstan’s largest oilfields, which have faced export bottlenecks and targeted drone attacks on energy infrastructure and vessels. Oil production at Tengiz averaged around 860,000 barrels per day in 2025.

An industry source noted that output at Tengiz fell by more than half from January 1–12, causing Kazakhstan’s overall oil and gas condensate production to drop by 35% during the same period, primarily due to export constraints via a Black Sea terminal.

By Vafa Guliyeva