Kazakhstan
Shell is preparing for further exploration work in Kazakhstan, with the intention of carrying out seismic surveys to help assess whether a prospective block warrants deep drilling.
Information from the public company and the government provides the basis for the developments highlighted in Upstream’s report, ‘Shell eyes major seismic push and deep well in Kazakhstan’. It is important to note that exploration preparations do not constitute a discovery or a commitment to commercial production.
According to Shell Kazakhstan’s corporate portal, the Zhanaturmys licensed block in the Aktobe region has deep subsalt potential. The portal describes preparations for a combined two- and three-dimensional seismic acquisition programme, which will improve understanding of the underground geology and support exploration decisions.
The same portal carries an invitation from Shell EP Offshore Ventures for companies to express interest in a forthcoming tender for land-based 3D seismic acquisition.
The expression-of-interest window opened on 19 October 2026 and will close on 2 November. This indicates that procurement preparations are underway, but does not mean that a seismic contract has been awarded or that fieldwork has begun.
Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry has confirmed a separate exploration contract with Shell Kazakhstan covering Zhanaturmys.
The ministry describes the block as covering 1,377 square kilometres in the Aktobe region. The work programme includes 3D seismic studies and the potential drilling of a deep exploration well.
The contract runs until 2032. Work is subject to regulatory requirements and the necessary permissions. The ministry also states that Shell will contribute at least 100 million tenge towards the region’s socio-economic development over the course of the contract. This commitment should not be confused with the project’s total exploration budget. (Kazakhstan Energy Ministry announcement, in Russian.)
The government’s wording is conditional: the programme includes the potential for deep drilling.
The sources reviewed do not establish a start date for drilling, the contracted rig, the final well depth or a commercial discovery. These details should remain open until they are supported by a project announcement or relevant documentation.
For shareholders, this distinction is important. Investing in a prospect provides information and the potential for future development. This does not immediately create producing reserves or guarantee that a project will earn an acceptable return.
Any eventual development would require further evidence regarding recoverable resources, technical feasibility, costs, and the conditions under which production could proceed.
