Kazakhstan raises oil and gas condensate output 7% in 2023

Kazakh oil output up to 1.57 mln bpd in Dec, above OPEC+ quota

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Production plans in Kazakhstan were at 90.5 mln T

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Kazakh oil production beset by rough weather, maintenance

By Alla Afanasyeva

MOSCOW, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan increased its crude oil and gas condensate production by 7% in 2023 to 89.9 million metric tons (1.8 million barrels per day), slightly below a planned 90.5 million tons, Reuters calculations based on official data showed on Tuesday.

In December, daily output rose by 3% to 1.83 million barrels per day (bpd) from November. Kazakhstan's energy ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The country's oil production has been beset by weather-related disruptions to exports via the Black Sea and maintenance at its key oilfields.

Crude oil output excluding gas condensate, a type of light oil, rose by 3% on a monthly basis in December to 1.57 million bpd, above the 1.55 million bpd quota set by a deal between countries at the OPEC+ group of leading global oil producers.

According to Reuters calculations, based on industry sources and official data, oil production at the Chevron-led venture developing the Tengiz oilfield edged down 1% last year to 630,100 bpd.

Output at the Kashagan offshore field - developed by Kazakh state firm KazMunayGaz, Shell, TotalEnergies , Eni, ExxonMobil, CNPC, and Inpex - jumped by 48% to 407,400 bpd.

Kashagan, which is considered to be the most important oil find since the discovery of Prudhoe Bay in Alaska in the 1960s, has been cranking oil output broadly in line with the recent plans.

Production at the Karachaganak field increased by 7% to 259,770 bpd.

About 80% of Kazakh oil exports are piped through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's Black Sea terminal, with additional volumes going through another Russian pipeline. Much smaller quantities are shipped to China. (Reporting by Alla Afanasyeva; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Jan Harvey)