Uzbekistan intends to increase the depth of natural gas processing and expand the production of high value-added products. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced this on October 16 at a meeting with energy sector investors. According to him, gas should be used not only for electricity generation but also as a raw material for the petrochemical industry.
In the Kashkadarya region, a complex for the production of synthetic liquid fuel is already operating, producing up to 1.5 million tons of fuel and other products per year. In the Bukhara region, an MTO project is planned for obtaining olefins from methanol, followed by the production of polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET. The modernization of the Bukhara and Fergana oil refineries is also envisaged. The authorities are counting on projects with modern technologies that meet environmental requirements and provide economic returns.
At the same time, the country is expanding geological exploration. In Ustyurt, six investment blocks are being explored jointly with Azerbaijani SOCAR and British BP. Another 128 blocks have been prepared to attract foreign companies. Their estimated resources are 5.8 trillion cubic meters of gas and 560 million tons of liquid hydrocarbons. When selecting projects, the authorities intend to take into account transparency, competition, and mutual benefit.