Methane Leaks Again From a Mangistau Oil Field

The Regional Ecology Department said on June 8 that methane content in the area had increased significantly and exceeded the minimum safety levels. The leak was eventually contained and sealed on June 7.

Data from the monitoring was sent to the prosecutor’s office to assess the potential environmental damage and initiate follow-up inspections.

The Tolkyn field had been at the center of a long legal dispute between its former operators, the Moldovan Stati family, and the Kazakhstani government. The arbitration was resolved last year after a 13-year, multi-jurisdiction battle.

Since 2022, Varro Operating Group had operated the field. Varro is a subsidiary of Fincraft Group, a company owned by Kenges Rakishev, a wealthy businessman and the son-in-law of former Prime Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov.

In 2023, a massive methane leak at another oil and gas field in Mangistau could only be contained and sealed after six months, causing significant damage to the atmosphere.

Buzachi Neft, the operator of the Karaturun field that experienced the leak, was ultimately fined 2.2 billion tenge ($4.3 million).