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Kazakhstan is now one of the largest oil producers in the world. In 1899 the first oil was received in the first developed in Kazakhstan oilfield Karashungul which gave start to Kazakh oil industry.
1911– in Dossor field (Atyrau Oblast), which was developed by English businessmen gave the first powerful oil fountain. The well was flushing for 30 hours and gave 16,700 puds of oil.
1915 – pilot development of the largest field Makat (Guriev Oblast) started.
Firstly the oil was produced via fountain method, but as far as wells self-flow depletion the oil was pumped out of depth constructed at the well head via bailing-up.
1926-1927 – fields of Embaneft group of organizations started to produce oil with depth pumps and compressors.
In the second part of 20s of XX century oilmen of Emba started to apply rotory drilling, that enabled drilling improvement, well depth increase, recovery temper and oil reservoir exploration.
1930 – Aktobe oblast fields started to be developed.
1930s – Dossor-Guriev oil pipeline, Caspian-Orsk oil main pipeline were constructed, which had large economical importance.
1960s –instead of rotary drilling, more rapid turbine drilling started to be implemented, drilling rigs park increased, their technical capacity significantly increased, which allowed to drill till 3.0-4.0 thousand meters.
Kazakhstan entered the international arena when it became independent.
1992
1992 – Kazakhstan, Russia and Oman founded Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) aiming to construct and equip the line of oil transportation from Tengiz to Black Sea port in Novorossiysk.
This year Kazakhstan, Agip and British Gas signed an agreement on oil and gas condensate field Karachaganak.
1993
4 February – the first joint venture named KazakhTurkMunai was formed in the oil and gas industry of the republic.
Маrch – KazahstanCaspianShelf (KCS) was formed, which strategic intent was to explore Kazakhstani sector of the Caspian Sea
6 April – Kazakh Government signed and agreement with American company Chevron for 40 year duration, which was named as the contract of the century.
3 December – an agreement on formation of an international consortium to conduct geological exploration works on the Kazakhstani shelf of the Caspian Sea. The Consortium consisting of seven foreign companies (Agip, British Petroleum, Statoil, British Gas, Mobil, Total, Shell) and KazakhstanCaspianShelf, acting as an operator of the Project signed an agreement on three year geological survey of oil potential region.
Kazakh-German enterprise named KazGerMunai was formed – the largest enterprise in the Republic with German capital.
1995
Маrch – Kazakhstan represented by Kazakhgas and Agip (Italy), British Gas (Great Britain) and Gazprom (Russia) signed production share agreement in Karachaganak field.
28 July – Decree about oil, which has effectiveness equal to law, was adopted by the President of Republic of Kazakhstan. However, the main aim of the law was to cooperate to attract foreign investment into oil and gas resources development.
1996
April – Kazakhstan, Russia, Oman and Consortium of foreign oil companies signed an agreement on construction of oil pipeline with capacity of 67 million metric tons on the route Tengiz-Tikhoretsk-Novorossiysk (CPC pipeline). As per the agreement share of Russia was 24%, Kazakhstan had 19% and Oman 7%, the rest was distributed among 8 oil companies.
9 July – agreement on principles of cooperation of the Caspian coastal countries was signed.
Agreement on construction of Baku-Batumi-Supsa oil pipeline, which would pass through Georgia. Part of the Caspian oil was supposed to be exported to Ukraine and further to Europe.
1997
4 March – Ministry of Oil and Gas Industry of RoK was abrogated and National Oil and Gas Company Kazakhoil was created, it was authorized to act on behalf of Kazakhstan in the largest oil and gas projects and in enterprises of the industry.
2 April – National Company on Oil Transportation KazTransOil was created. In 1997 there started the privatization of oil and gas sector of the Republic. In June of 1997 control packet of shares of Aktobemunaigas JSC (60%) was first sold to Chinese National Petroleum Company (CNPC).
18 November – in Washington during the visit of the President N.Nazarbaev, final Product Share Agreement in oil and gas condensate field Karachaganak was signed. The share of Kazakhstan in divisible income constituted 80%. The specially formed Karachaganak Integrated Organization (KIO) included Italian company Agip (32.5%), British company British Gas (32.5%), American company Texaco (20%) and Russian company LUKoil (15%).
18 – Production Share Agreement on the North Caspian among Agip, British Gas, British Petroleum and Statoil, Mobil, Shell, Total and KazakhstanCaspianShelf. As per the PSA, the exploration period was 6 years from the date of its commencement with a right of 2 years extention, and the period of development and production was 20 years from the date of commercial opening of the Contractual area with opportunity of 2 times prolonging 10 years each.
1998
January – Karachaganak field Production Share Agreement became effective.
14 July –start of drilling of the first oil well in the Kazakhstani part of the Caspian shelf. The well is drilled by Kazakh-American JV Arman in Dead Kultuk field. Artificial island-berm was constructed in offshore.
1999
Маy – construction of Caspian Pipeline Consortium started.
June –Astrakhan korabel enterprise put into water Sunkar floating drilling barge in Astrakhan .
12 August – OKIOK started to drill the first exploration well East Kashagan-1 in Kazakhstani part of the Caspian shelf.
September – Atyrau celebrated 100th anniversary of the first oil of Kazakhstan.
2000
February – KazTransOil National Oil Transportation Company formed affiliate structure KazTranGas. In summer 2000 KazTransGas entered in full ownership of south energy system and gas transportation system of the Republic.
Largest oil field in the North Caspian shelf was discovered (Kashagan).
2001
February –ENI Italian group of companies was selected as a sole operator of the development of coastal fields of Kazakhstan in the North Caspian.
26 March – pumping oil into CPC pipeline system Tengiz-Novorossiysk was started. About 1 million tons of oil was required to fill in the pipeline.
2 May – National Company on management of main oil and gas pipeline Transport nefti I gasa (Oil and Gas Transportation) was formed by Decree of Government of Kazakhstan. New Company was given state packet of shares of CJSC KazTransOil and KazTransGas.
3 August – Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) Contract on oil transportation was approved in Moscow.
28 November – the first tanker sailed out of the Novorossiysk port with Tengiz oil.
2002
20 February – KazMunaiGas National Company JSC with 100% of the state share was formed in the oil and gas area of the economy in order to increase the level of effective and transparent development of oil and gas complex and protection of interests of Kazakhstan by the Decree of President of Republic of Kazakhstan. KazMunaiGas JSC is legal successor of Kazakhoil NOC CJSC and CJSC NC Transport Nefti I Gasa.
3 May – N.Nazarbaev and V.Putin signed historical document – Agreement Protocol between Russia and Kazakhstan on delimitation of north part of the Caspian Sea.
23 May – Kenkiyak-Atyrau oil pipeline construction was started.
2003
August – N.Nazarbaev took active part in the ceremony of the first oil from the Karachaganak field in export pipeline CPC.
December – KazMunaiGas and LUKoil signed PSA on development of fields Atash and Tub-Karagan in Kazakhstani part of the Caspian shelf.
2004
9 January –Kazakh-Russian agreement on perspective marine projects Tub-Karagan and Atash in the Caspian Sea was signed.
October – Atasu-Alashankoy (Kazakhstan-Chinese) oil pipeline construction was started.
Oil quality bank was formed in Kazakhstan. Hydrocarbon raw database of Kazakhstani leading companies allowed identifying oil parties in different stages of its transportation, transfer, storage.
2005
March – KazMunaiGas NC purchased half share of British Gas in the North Caspian project at the amount of 8.33%.
May –ceremony devoted to accepting new tanker Astana in Aktau was conducted, which meant the start of Marine Float of Kazakhstan.
6 July – PSA on Kurmangazy structure and Agreement on joint operation between KazMunaiTeniz MOC JSC and RN-Kazakhstan OJSC was signed.
2006
12 May – Ceremonial completion of Atyrau Oil Refinary Plant reconstruction and start-up of new plant units in Atyrau with the President of the Republic was conducted.
July – Deal on purchase of 50% ownership interest of KazMunaiGas NC JSC in KazGerMunai JV LLP and 33% shares of PetroKazakhstan.
20 July – commercial exploitation of oil pipeline Atasu-Alashankoy was started (Kazakhstan-Chinese).
2008
Deal on purchase of 100% of shares packet of Batumi Industrial Holdings Limited, which owned Batum oil terminal and port.
Contract with Central Asia Petroleum Ltd on purchase of 50% + 2 voting shares of JSC Magystaumunaigas.
100% of shareholder capital of KazMunaiGaz Finance B.V. was sold to Cooperative KazMunaiGaz PKI U.A.
2009
November – deal on purchase of 100% of Mangystaumunaigas completed.
24 June – KazMunaiGas completed purchase of 25% of The Rompetrol Group NV (ТRG), previously owned by Rompetrol Holding SА.
The 1st spur of gas pipeline Kazakhstan-China was commissioned.
2010
12 July – agreement on purchase of 50% shares of KMG EP in Kazakhoil AKtobe (KOA) was signed with KMG NC, 51% shares in Kazakhturkmunai (KTM) and 50% shares in Mangistau Investments B.V (“MIBV”), which owned 100% shares of Mangystaumunaigas JSC (MMG) in established legislative order.
25 May –PSA Limited Liability Partnership, affiliate of KazMunaiGas NC JSC was formed.
2011
July – 50th anniversary of Mangystau oil was celebrated.
The history of Kazakh oil does not end here. On the contrary the time shows that every year there appear new perspectives, which are provided by black oil, for Kazakhstan.