Tengizchevroil (TCO) has started oil production at the Future Growth Project (FGP) located within the onshore Tengiz oil field in western Kazakhstan.
The production milestone was achieved through the commissioning of the third-generation plant (3GP), a critical part of the $46.7bn FGP/Wellhead Pressure Management Project (WPMP) aimed at expanding crude oil output and sustaining field performance.
Tengizchevroil is a joint venture owned by Chevron (50%), ExxonMobil (25%), KazMunayGas (20%), and Lukoil (5%).
The Future Growth Project is designed to increase Tengizchevroil’s crude oil production by 12 million tonnes per year, bringing the total annual capacity at the Tengiz field to approximately 40 million tonnes.
The project is expected to generate additional financial contributions to Kazakhstan through taxes, royalties, and other direct payments while supporting the country’s role as a significant crude oil supplier in global markets.
Tengizchevroil general director Kevin Lyon said: “The successful delivery of the Future Growth Project is a major accomplishment in terms of scale and global complexity. FGP will unlock additional value for both Kazakhstan and TCO’s shareholders.
“We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, our shareholders, contractor companies, our talented and skilled workforce, and other stakeholders for their collaboration and support in helping us reach this milestone.”
First oil at the project follows the completion of the WPMP in April 2024, which optimised wellhead pressure and improved the performance of the field’s processing plants.
Together, the FGP and WPMP projects aim to maintain pressure in the reservoir through enhanced sour gas handling and reinjection, ensuring long-term production stability.
The 3GP infrastructure includes the installation of five Frame 9 gas turbine generators, four large compression trains, additional pumping capacity, and a centralised control centre.
Once fully operational, the combined FGP/WPMP projects are expected to increase crude oil production at the Tengiz field by 260,000 barrels per day, with daily output projected to reach one million barrels of oil equivalent.
The Tengiz oil field, located in the Atyrau region, is the world’s deepest producing supergiant oil field and the largest single-trap producing reservoir.
