MOL said the first well at the Rozhkovskoye gas and condensate field in the west of the country had started production with a rate of 300,000 cubic meters of raw gas per day. In the pilot phase, with one well in production, the Rozhkovskoye field is expected to contribute 1,300 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day to group-level production, it added.

Four additional wells will be put into production in Q3 2024, boosting production to 1.5 million cubic meters of gas per day.

In parallel with the completion of Phase 1, the project is moving ahead to ensure timely delivery of planned Phase 2, MOL said. It includes additional completions, drilling new wells, and expanding infrastructure to handle 2.5 million cubic meters per day of gas by the end of 2027, it added.

The gas and condensate recoverable from the reservoir currently targeted amounts to 158.8 mln boe, of which gas is 101.5 mln boe and condensate 57.3 mln boe.

The field is operated by Ural Oil and Gas, owned by Kazakhstan's KazMunayGas (50%), MOL Group (27.5%), and Fioc of China (22.5%).