According to official information, the North Rishtan oil and gas field is located in the Kadamjai district of the Batken region, approximately 60 kilometers southeast of Kadamjai. Drilling operations and seismic exploration using the 2D method have allowed for the discovery of both oil and gas deposits at this field. Development began in 1954, and by January 1, 1993, the field was nearly fully depleted. During the entire period of activity, 46 wells were drilled.
It is also worth mentioning the South Rishtan gas field, which is located in the same area and was discovered in 1989, 60 kilometers southeast of the Furkat station.
For a long time, hydrocarbon extraction at several fields located in Kyrgyzstan was carried out by Uzbekistan. According to the transfer act dated June 15, 2000, JSC "Kyrgyzneftegaz" took over the oil and gas fields of the Burgandinsky massif, located in the Batken region, from JSC "Uzbekneftegazodobycha".
On September 9, 2008, JSC "Batkenneftegaz" received license No. 930 NE for the right to use the subsoil of the North and South Rishtan areas for the purpose of oil and gas development, valid until September 9, 2028. The area of the licensed territory was 2,100 hectares.
On July 1, 2019, license No. 6 was issued for the development of the Technical Project for oil and gas extraction at the specified fields, and a reclamation account was opened at JSC "Optima Bank".
License No. 930 NE was revoked by the decision of the Licensing Commission for Subsoil Use dated December 25, 2024, formalized by protocol No. 79-N-2024, in accordance with paragraph 4 of part 3 of Article 26 of the law "On Subsoil".
As of January 1, 2025, according to the assessment of the State Commission on Mineral Reserves, the reserves of the North Rishtan field are:
- oil — 654.42 thousand tons (geological), 20.38 thousand tons (recoverable);
- dissolved gas in oil — 68.62 million m³ (geological), 56.61 million m³ (recoverable);
- free gas — 44.17 million m³ (geological), 36.44 million m³ (recoverable).
As for the free gas reserves of the South Rishtan field, as of January 1, 2025, they amount to 1,916.02 million m³ (geological) and 356.86 million m³ (recoverable). The Kyrgyz Geological Service emphasized that information on mineral reserves is formed solely based on approved geological data and decisions of competent state authorities.
