Orenburg Gas Plant Resumes After Drone Strike Disruption

The Orenburg gas plant in Russia resumed operations after a drone attack disrupted operations, impacting Kazakhstan's Karachaganak field linked to Western oil companies. The disruption highlighted the vulnerability of energy assets amid geopolitical tensions. Gas reception from the Karachaganak field has now resumed, easing production concerns.

Russia's Orenburg gas plant, which was damaged during a drone attack on Sunday, has resumed receiving natural gas from Kazakhstan's Karachaganak field, Kazakhstan's energy minister confirmed on Wednesday. The attack marked the first known disruption to Western oil companies operating in Russia amid Kyiv's campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure.

The incident led to a slowdown in oil and gas condensate production at Karachaganak, a significant field in Kazakhstan managed by an international consortium, including Chevron, Shell, and Eni. Kazakh energy minister Erlan Akkenzhenov indicated that the Orenburg plant has resumed its gas intake.

The Karachaganak field's production is intricately linked to the gas processed at Orenburg, with the disruption causing a drop in oil output from the usual 35,000-35,500 metric tons to between 25,000 and 28,000 tons. This highlights the field's dependence on stable gas production for maintaining oil output levels.

(With inputs from agencies.)