Azerbaijan’s SOCAR to launch gas exploration in Uzbekistan’s Karakalpak block

Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and Uzbekistan’s “Uzbekneftegaz” will begin joint geological exploration at the Karakalpak gas block on the Ustyurt plateau in northwestern Uzbekistan, the Azerbaijani economy minister said on Thursday.

Speaking at a meeting of the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan intergovernmental commission in Baku on June 20, Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, who also chairs SOCAR’s supervisory board, announced the launch of large-scale research at the site.

The project has been under discussion since 2018, when Uzbekistan discovered industrial-scale reserves of gas and condensate in the Lower Surgil region. British Petroleum (BP) initially joined the project but exited in 2019, leaving SOCAR to continue on its own.

Although Uzbekistan’s total gas reserves exceed 1 trillion cubic meters, declining domestic production—due to a lack of modern extraction technologies—has forced the country to import gas from neighboring Turkmenistan. In 2024, Uzbekistan produced over 40 bcm, but “Uzbekneftegaz” forecasts a drop to 26–27 bcm in 2025, below the level needed for domestic demand.

SOCAR says it is ready to provide technical and expert support for the development of the fields and views the project as a strategic contribution to Uzbekistan’s energy security.

N.Təbrizli