November 18, 2025 [The Europe Today]- Tashkent, November 16, 2025 – The Europe Today:  Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company KazMunayGas (KMG) and Uzbekistan’s state energy company Uzbekneftegaz have signed a Framework Agreement to jointly implement a major petrochemical project aimed at producing linear alkylbenzene (LAB), KMG’s press service announced.

The agreement was signed during the state visit of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Uzbekistan, marking a significant step forward in bilateral industrial cooperation. The document outlines the sides’ commitments to jointly study and evaluate the investment project titled “Construction of a Petrochemical Complex for the Production of Linear Alkylbenzene (LAB).”

According to KMG, the agreement formalizes initial arrangements and paves the way for the design phase, including the preparation of technical documentation and essential calculations. The planned facility will have a projected annual production capacity of up to 50,000 tons of LAB — a key raw material used in the manufacture of synthetic detergents and household chemicals.

The companies noted that a final investment decision will be made upon completion of the design and feasibility work.

The implementation of the LAB project is expected to satisfy domestic demand in both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, reduce dependence on imported petrochemical feedstock, and stimulate the growth of the chemical processing sector. The project will also support the establishment of new production facilities in the household chemicals industry, contributing to deeper industrial cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.