State-owned Uzbekneftegaz may join the M-25 gas field project as a trusted partner to hire specialists from American companies, including General Electric.
The initial option of involving Uzbekneftegaz in the project as a partner was to provide additional financing and technical support for the field development, where a man-made accident occurred.
In exchange for its assistance, the company was expected to get a portion of the gas produced.
On September 1, 2024, during drilling operations at well 604, an accident caused a gas leak containing high levels of hydrogen sulfide, killing four people. Local residents were evacuated. No criminal case has been reported.
In March 2025, a gas leak occurred at well 202. To prevent further leaks, the gas at the field was set on fire.
Gas production is due to start in H1 of 2026, without flaring the well, achieving clean gas production.
The M25 field is currently the largest undeveloped gas field in Uzbekistan. Its gas reserves are estimated at over 150 BCM of raw gas. Most of the gas reserves have high carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide contents.
In April 2017, the government of Uzbekistan signed a production sharing agreement with a consortium of investors—Gas Project Development Central Asia (formerly a joint venture between Gazprom and Gazprombank), Altmax Holding (Cyprus), and Uzneftegazdobycha—for the Uzbekistan Mustaqilligi investment block, including further exploration and development of the Mustaqillikning 25 Yilligi gas field, and the construction of a gas processing complex in the Surkhandarya region.
The entire complex was estimated at $5.8 billion. While, the gas chemical complex itself was estimated at $2.9 billion (in April 2021, the project was estimated at $2 billion). The complex will have an annual 5 BCM throughput capacity.
The project is being implemented under a 35-year PSA, with Surhan Gas Chemical Operating Company serving as the operator.
Drilling operations were performed by Eriell, while the design, equipment supply, and turnkey construction of the gas processing plant, infrastructure facilities, and gas gathering, treatment, and transportation systems were handled by Enter Engineering. Both companies were associated with businessman Bakhtiyor Fazylov.
In 2021, VEB.RF and Gazprombank contributed a $900 million loan to support the export of Russian equipment for the M-25 gas field in Surkhandarya.
