Recently, Song Dayong, Vice President of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), led a delegation to Tashkent for high-level talks with Abdugani Sanjinov, Chairman of Uzbekistan's National Oil and Gas Company (Uzbekneftegaz). The two sides comprehensively reviewed existing cooperative projects, finalized deep-well acceleration plans and new directions for cooperation, marking a new construction boom in the Central Asian oil and gas engineering market and opening up vast overseas opportunities for domestic drilling, mud support, and oil and gas technology service providers.

Two Joint Venture Platforms Lay the Foundation, Ensuring Stable Energy Channels

This meeting systematically reviewed the operational status of the two core joint venture entities—Asia Trans Gas, responsible for cross-border gas transmission, and New Silk Road Oil and Gas Co., Ltd., responsible for upstream oil and gas development. These two platforms, as core carriers of China-Uzbekistan energy cooperation, have stably guaranteed the transmission of gas from Central Asia for many years and are key projects for energy connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative. Both sides clarified their commitment to continuously optimizing pipeline operation and maintenance and gas field production stability systems, consolidating the foundation for long-term cooperation.

Accelerated Deployment of 30 Deep Wells in Ustyurt Drives Demand for Drilling Services

The biggest highlight of the meeting was the clear order to accelerate the Ustyurt deep exploration well project, involving 30 wells. These wells, designed to reach depths of 5500-6000 meters, directly face the complex, high-temperature, and high-pressure formations of the area, with a planned construction period from 2026 to 2028. Both parties requested expedited transportation and installation of heavy drilling rigs and downhole equipment to ensure timely commencement of drilling operations. The Ustyurt Basin faces harsh geological conditions, with high-pressure salt layers and easily collapsible formations, creating a huge demand for high-temperature and salt-resistant drilling mud, pressure-bearing plugging agents, oil-based drilling mud systems, and solids control circulation equipment. Domestic deep-well drilling rigs, high-temperature resistant drilling mud materials, and solids control equipment possess strong compatibility advantages, and related overseas orders are being released simultaneously.

Furthermore, regarding the handling of the preliminary technical accident at the Boysun gas field commemorating the 25th anniversary of its independence, both sides completed in-depth communication and agreed to coordinate the allocation of Chinese equipment, technical personnel, and a full range of resources to complete the rectification and finalization strictly according to international standards. This fully demonstrates CNPC's core technical strength in emergency response to complex well conditions, downhole management, and mud control.

Full-industry chain collaborative expansion overseas: The Central Asian market enters a fast track of development

The official statement from Uzbekistan indicated that the high-level meeting at the beginning of the year further consolidated cooperation and mutual trust. CNPC's full-industry chain technology, equipment, and services have long held a significant share of Uzbekistan's oil and gas services. Going forward, both sides will simultaneously accelerate the implementation of ongoing drilling and pipeline projects while exploring new areas of cooperation such as exploration and development, oilfield operation and maintenance, and low-carbon extraction. Keywords: CNPC, Uzbekneftegaz, oil and gas services, industry chain expansion overseas

For domestic drilling and mud industry practitioners, this upgrade in Central Asian cooperation presents an excellent window of opportunity for overseas expansion. Domestically produced deep-well drilling rigs, 7000-type electric fracturing equipment, and complete sets of environmentally friendly mud solutions will enter the Central Asian market in batches along with the project. From engineering construction to additive supply and on-site technical services, the entire industrial chain is reaping the benefits of going global, and the Central Asian oil and gas market has officially entered the fast track of construction. Editor/Sunyaxin