Oil field
Kazakhstan. Supergiant field.
Updated August 8, 2026 · View on the live map →
Kazakhstan. Supergiant field. ~600,000+ bpd, expanding to ~850,000 bpd with FGP project. Discovered 1979. Chevron-led Tengizchevroil. High H₂S content.
Chevron's 50% stake in Tengiz (~$40B+ invested) is one of the largest single US corporate investments in the former Soviet Union. The expansion project (FGP) is the most expensive oil project currently under construction globally. Kazakhstan has periodically pressured Chevron on environmental and tax issues, but the relationship endures because neither side has an alternative — Kazakhstan needs Chevron's technology for the field's extreme H₂S conditions, and Chevron needs Tengiz for its production growth. All exports transit Russia via the CPC pipeline, creating a three-way dependency.
After a request from VP Vance on 31 July, Ukraine agreed to halt attacks on non-Russian tankers and infrastructure serving the CPC terminal, provided vessels carry no Russian cargo, are not Russian-owned and are not under Ukrainian sanctions. CPC shipments had resumed but remained below normal.
Four tankers heading to or loading at the CPC terminal near Novorossiysk (Nordic Zenith, Asia, Nissos Ios, Nelsa) were hit by drones on 17-20 July. CPC suspended loadings on 22 July as storage filled and Kazakhstan announced temporary output cuts on 23 July. Russia blamed Ukraine; Kazakhstan called the attacks unacceptable. CPC carries ~80% of Kazakh exports.