BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 28. Uzbekistan’s state-owned oil and gas company Uzbekneftegaz discovered five hydrocarbon fields during the first nine months of 2026 and expanded 3D seismic exploration to 7,430 square kilometers, as the company steps up efforts to replenish the country’s resource base, increase gas production, and modernize drilling operations.
This was stated by Uzbekneftegaz in the press release.
The results and planned upgrades were outlined in the company’s report on its operational and financial performance for the first nine months of the year.
Uzbekneftegaz discovered five fields — Qiziljar, Shag'irlik in the Lower Jurassic formation, Telegri, Gulshanbog and Kaprin — during January-September. Exploration is underway across 42 investment blocks, with the company seeking to increase research depths from 4,500 meters to as much as 8,000 meters.
The company surveyed 7,430 square kilometers using 3D seismic technology during the reporting period, five times the area covered in 2025. It plans to expand the coverage to 11,900 square kilometers by the end of 2026.
Seismic surveys are being conducted at the Tagman, Kogon and Shakhpakhti projects with China’s BGP. Uzbekneftegaz also reported commercially significant gas and condensate flows at the Moynaq, Qiziljar, Western Lower Surgil and Shagirlik-Lower Jurassic areas in the Ustyurt region. DeGolyer and MacNaughton is assessing the reserves under international standards, according to the company.
To strengthen its exploration capabilities, Uzbekneftegaz plans to purchase $38 million worth of equipment from U.S. company INOVA. The package includes two 20,000-channel 3D seismic systems, 216 sets of high-temperature and high-pressure well equipment, six logging units and 10 geological and technological research stations.
The company has also integrated Uzbekgeofizika into its structure to coordinate geological exploration and drilling under a unified management system.
Uzbekneftegaz is also expanding its drilling capacity. The company drilled 80 wells during the first nine months of 2026 and completed major repairs on 35 wells. Repairs to 114 wells across its operations helped increase daily gas production by an additional 4 million cubic meters, the company said.
Daily gas output rose by a further 1.6 million cubic meters from the beginning of October, according to the announcement.
To reduce reliance on external contractors and lower drilling costs, Uzbekneftegaz is establishing a specialized subsidiary, UNG Burgilash. It is acquiring 15 drilling rigs from Chinese companies CNLC, Honghua, CNTIC and RG Petro, including ZJ-90, ZJ-70 and ZJ-40 models. The initiative is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs for engineers, drilling specialists, and technical personnel.
