Munay Caspiy Gas: from a Kazakh drilling contractor to an international partner

The global oilfield services industry is undergoing a profound transformation. The traditional model in which drilling companies operated solely as contractors is gradually giving way to a new ecosystem — one where the core value lies in engineering expertise, management capabilities, and accountability for the final result.

Against this backdrop, a new generation of companies is gaining prominence — businesses capable not only of executing operations, but of managing the entire project lifecycle.

Behind the development of LLP Munay Caspiy Gas (MCG) stand its founders, Aitkali Tuleumaganbetov, a specialist who advanced from mechanic to CEO of an oil and gas drilling service company, and Sayat Kurmanbayev, an oil sector professional with extensive management experience in developing oilfield service business models. From the very beginning, they built the company with scale in mind, focusing on operational efficiency, engineering expertise, and long-term partnerships. The management team emphasizes the ability to operate under uncertainty, adapt quickly, and build trust on an international level.

Today, this development logic defines the company’s transformation: MCG is gradually moving beyond the traditional contractor model, building a platform capable of integrating international expertise, capital, and technologies into a unified and efficiently managed system.

MCG currently operates ten drilling rigs, has experience with more than one thousand drilled and serviced wells, and is managing projects across six countries, including Kazakhstan. The company performs major well workovers at depths of up to 6000 meters, vertical drilling up to 5000 meters, and horizontal drilling up to 1200 meters. Its geographic footprint continues to expand: MCG is already operating in Georgia, conducting pre-operational work for long-term contracts with national operators in India and Saudi Arabia, and developing partnerships in the UAE and Oman.

This scale has laid the foundation for the company’s next stage of growth — the transition from a contractor-based model to integrated project participation. MCG is taking on responsibilities that extend beyond drilling itself, including well design participation, engineering oversight, contractor coordination, and accountability for project timelines, budgets, and operational efficiency.

According to MCG co-founder Aitkali Tuleumaganbetov, this transition was a strategic decision driven by the realities of the global market.

«From the very beginning, we understood that the traditional contractor model limits growth. Today, the key competency is not simply completing the work, but managing the outcome. That is why we are consistently strengthening our engineering capabilities and expanding our management expertise,» — says Aitkali Tuleumaganbetov.

International projects have become a practical confirmation of this transformation. In Georgia, the company operates in an environment with limited infrastructure and heightened responsibility to both clients and government authorities. The market has effectively become a testing ground where MCG strengthened its competencies in managing non-productive time, coordinating multi-service contractors, and reducing operational risks.

India, by contrast, requires operating in a highly competitive environment with large-scale projects. There, the company focuses on localization, flexibility, and the integration of engineering solutions, enabling it to adapt to a complex and dynamic market. The Middle East is viewed as a region concentrated with some of the world’s largest projects and the highest standards for quality and project management.

Another important growth factor is the company’s established system of international corporate governance. MCG’s structure includes a Swiss strategic partner, while its board of directors features independent members from the United States and Germany. The top management team includes specialists with professional experience in Canada and India. This enhances transparency and strengthens trust among international investors.

«Munay Caspiy Gas is a company with a strong operational foundation and a mature management model. Kazakhstan today offers a stable and predictable investment environment that enables the development of national companies with international potential. We see potential not only in the company itself, but also in the country as a platform for building a global oilfield services business,» — notes the company’s Swiss partner, Quentin de Rham.

At the same time, the company continues to invest in human capital. Partnerships with Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University in Kyzylorda and Yessenov University in Aktau help to build a talent pipeline by providing students with paid internships and long-term career opportunities. The goal is to train specialists capable of working both in Kazakhstan and internationally.

Sayat Kurmanbayev emphasizes that the company’s ambitions extend far beyond drilling itself:

«We are building not just a drilling company — we are creating an international engineering platform with Kazakh roots and global ambitions. From the outset, our objective was broader than the local market: to create a business capable of competing with global players on equal terms and representing Kazakhstan as a reliable and technologically advanced partner. Today, we are entering international markets not as a contractor, but as a participant that takes responsibility for results, efficiency, and the sustainability of projects. We firmly believe that Kazakhstan can and should export not only resources, but also competencies, management models, and engineering solutions. Our goal is to transform MCG into a platform through which international partners can invest, execute projects, and scale their businesses by relying on Kazakh expertise and globally recognized standards.»

Today, Munay Caspiy Gas is already entering international markets in a fundamentally new capacity — not as a contractor, but as a partner sharing responsibility for project outcomes. This fundamentally changes the company’s position within the global value chain. In this context, the question is no longer whether MCG can establish itself on the international stage. The key question is the speed at which the company will secure its place among the sustainable players of the global oilfield services and engineering sector.