Transport infrastructure

The total length of the Kazakh backbone transmission system is more than 11 thousand km, the maximum capacity is 190 bcm per year. There are three underground gas storage facilities with a total capacity of 4.12 billion cubic meters of active gas.

The existing scheme of gas pipelines in Kazakhstan, which functioned as an integral part of the former single-union system mainly serves the transit flows of natural gas from Central Asia to the European part of Russia, Ukraine and the Transcaucasian states. Lack of connections between the main gas pipelines does not allow for redistribution of gas between the regions of the country, in particular, from the western region in the southern and northern regions.

Gas transit through the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be exercised by major pipelines:

• «Central Asia-Center» – in the direction of Uzbekistan –Kazakhstan-Russia (Turkmen and Uzbek gas);
• «Bukharsky gas-containing region – Tashkent-Bishkek-Almaty» ( in the direction of Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan (Uzbek gas);
• «Orenburg-Novopskov and main gas pipeline «Soyuz» – in the direction of Russia (Russian gas);
• «Bukhara –Ural» - in the direction of Russia (Turkmen gas).

For the period of 2009, the volume of international transit of gas on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan amounted to 73,2 bcm, including Russian gas -48,0 bcm, Turkmen-11,8 bcm, Uzbek – 13,1 bcm.

At present, NC «KazTransGas» JSC (through the offices of subsidiaries «KazTransGas –Aimak» JSC, «KazTransGas –Almaty» JSC) supplies gas to consumer of Zhambyl, South-Kazakhstan, KizylOrda, Western-Kazakhstan, Aktobe, Almaty regions and the city of Almaty, and Kostanai region. In 2009, total volume of gas supply to the domestic market by Groups of companies KTG comprised 7,9 bcm.

In 2010, «KazTransGas» JSC is planning to transport about 94 bcm of gas through main pipelines, including international transit of 71 bcm, export -15 bcm of gas, to the domestic market -8,0 bcm.