It is known that the North and South Rishtan fields have long been studied and are partially depleted.
The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision commented on the information regarding alleged new large gas reserves in the Batken region that appeared in some publications.
According to the Kyrgyz Geological Service, the North Rishtan field, located in the Kadamjay district, began development back in 1954. By 1993, the reserves of this field were nearly exhausted, with 46 wells drilled.
The South Rishtan field, located nearby, was discovered in 1989. During the Soviet era, the Republic of Uzbekistan was responsible for oil and gas extraction in these areas, and in 2000, the rights to exploit the fields were transferred to Kyrgyzstan.
The license for the development of the North and South Rishtan fields was valid until 2028; however, it was revoked in December 2024, and gas extraction was suspended.
"As of January 1, 2025, the reserves of North Rishtan amount to approximately 44 million cubic meters of free gas, of which about 36 million cubic meters are considered recoverable. In South Rishtan, the geological reserves of free gas are estimated at about 1 billion 916 million cubic meters, but only about 356 million cubic meters are recognized as recoverable," the official statement reports.
The ministry noted that this is not about new discoveries, but rather about long-known fields, the data for which are registered by the state.
Photo by the press service
