KBTU NEWS

KBTU and CNPC Establish the Belt and Road Joint Laboratory On September 8, 2026, KBTU Rector and Chairman of the Board M. T. Gabdulin paid an official visit to China. During the visit, he met with Zhu Shengzhen, Executive Director and Secretary of the Party Committee of the China Petroleum Safety and Environmental Protection Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. (CNPC). Following the meeting, KBTU and the CNPC Research Institute for Safety and Environmental Protection signed an agreement to establish a joint research center at KBTU, the Belt and Road Joint Laboratory. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Chinese side by Zhu Shengzhen. The joint laboratory will focus on three key areas: 1. Safety of oil and gas exploration and development in Kazakhstan The development of technologies to prevent accidents during drilling and production, including well control and the prevention of geological risks such as earthquakes and sandstorms. Particular attention will be paid to the development of intelligent safety equipment for operations in extremely cold conditions. 2. Risk prevention in oil and gas storage and transportation The development of anti-corrosion technologies, leak detection and emergency response systems for long-distance pipelines, as well as solutions for their safe operation under extreme climatic conditions. 3. Digitalization and intelligentization of energy safety systems The development of integrated information platforms for risk monitoring, intelligent video recognition technologies, emergency management platforms and methane monitoring systems. It is symbolic that the agreement was signed exactly 10 years after Chinese President and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping and the President of Kazakhstan jointly announced the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative. The initiative has since become a foundation for large-scale economic, scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries. The establishment of the joint research center will create new opportunities for Kazakhstani researchers and students. They will be able to participate directly in joint research projects, gain advanced scientific and practical experience from their Chinese partners, and contribute to strengthening energy security in Kazakhstan and across the region.