China in Central Asia

President Xi just ended his swing through Central Asia in Krygystan where he reached a credit agreement worth over $3 Billion for energy projects, with the 225km Krygystan-China gas pipeline (to deliver gas originating in Turkmenistan) named specifically.

His trip included stops in Turkmenistan where gas deals were struck that will see Krygstan increase exports to China from the current level of around 25 billion cubic meters (BCM) to (what appears to be) around 40 bcm over the next few years and increasing to as much as 65 bcm per year by 2020 as Xi was on hand to inaugurate the world's second-largest gas field.

In between Krygystan and Turkmenistan was a stop in Kazakhstan where Xi discussed CNPC's acquisition of a stake in the Kashgan Oilfield. Which just started production and is expected to produce upwards of 180,000 bpd in the first production stage and increasing to a 370,000 bpd in the second phase.

The Chinese acquisition of energy resources will be an on going thread of this blog. Buying up reserves in ground through exploration and acquisition is interesting, but with active downstream operations as well, and through joint ventures with oil producing countries that lack the ability and capital (how about it Canada?) to refine their product, China is starting to lock product up from ground to market. This might prove interesting in a supply constrained world. Plenty more to come on this.