According to the regional administration (khokimiyat), Kashkadarya Region ranks first in the country in the production of oil, gas and condensate and in the processing of natural gas. Besides the oil and gas industry and gas chemicals, the region’s named drivers are the chemical and textile industries, building materials, electrical engineering, tourism and the agricultural sector; large power plants operate here, as do pumping stations that supply water to the lands of the Karshi Steppe. For protective coatings this means working to strict industry specifications, often drawn up to international standards, and, at operating units, repairing protection in step with planned shutdowns.
Steppe and foothills: two climates in one region
The region’s climate is officially described as continental, dry and in places subtropical. The western, lowland part is an arid steppe with strong sun and dust: the July record in Karshi is 47.4 °C, and at the steppe station of Mubarek 48.6 °C (both in 1944), while in winter Karshi has seen down to −28.7 °C (January 1969, Uzhydromet data). The eastern part, with Shakhrisabz and Kitab, lies in the foothills: the spurs of the Hissar Range receive on average about 677 mm of precipitation a year, against 368 mm in the Kashkadarya valley (Fourth National Communication, 2024). But the heat is growing there too: in July 2026 Shakhrisabz broke its record with 44.9 °C (Uzhydromet). A significant share of dust storms in Kashkadarya begin at night (Rakhmatova et al., 2025), so in the morning, before painting, the surface has to be checked for dust again. For exposed structures the main enemies are heat, ultraviolet and dust during application; for concrete in the foothills, freeze–thaw cycles as well.
The corrosivity category for unit steelwork is adopted according to the design: for exposed steel at gas processing sites it is, as a rule, C3–C4, and higher in zones of process emissions and spills. It is confirmed for the specific facility to ISO 9223 or ISO 12944-2, and for areas with chemical media the system is selected according to their composition.
Gas processing and gas chemicals: what we protect
Fire protection
The load-bearing structures of process pipe racks, supports of vessels and columns, vessel skirts and pump shelters are protected against pool fires and jet fires. For this, epoxy intumescent systems or cementitious coatings tested to the corresponding regimes are used — for more detail, see the section on hydrocarbon fire. The zones and duration of protection are determined by the fire risk analysis, and the thicknesses by calculation for each section. Cable routes and penetrations in control buildings and substations are protected separately.
Corrosion under insulation and hot surfaces
Pipelines and vessels under thermal insulation, especially those operating in cyclic heating and cooling, are a risk zone: moisture gets under the cladding and destroys the steel unnoticed for years. For them, coatings designed for the operating temperature and cycling are selected — see heat-resistant coatings. Without insulation, hot surfaces are protected with silicone and inorganic systems.
Vessels, flare and auxiliary facilities
Tanks for condensate, water and chemical reagents need internal coatings resistant to the specific product; bunds and floors of reagent facilities need chemical protection, which we select using the questionnaire.
Specifications, supervision, repair
If the project is run by a foreign EPC contractor, coating requirements usually refer to ISO 12944, NORSOK M-501 and the client company’s standards — see the overview in the corrosion protection standards for oil and gas section. We help at every stage:
- we translate the requirements into specifications and method statements in Russian and English that are clear to the local contractor;
- we prepare the justification for an equivalent substitution if the specified material is not available on the market;
- we inspect the work to the inspection plan and compile the quality dossier;
- at operating units we survey the coatings and plan repairs around shutdowns.
Power generation, pumping stations, grouts
At thermal power plants, cable structures, turbine hall frames, flue gas paths and tanks are protected. A significant share of the crops in the region is irrigated with the help of pumps, and the modernisation of 16 pumping stations is planned for 2026 (report by the President’s press service). Their casings, gates and pipelines are in contact with fresh water — immersed parts need systems for category Im1. Turbine sets, compressors and large pumps require precise epoxy grouting, and static supports cementitious grouting; when pouring in hot weather, the temperature of the substrate and the exotherm are monitored. Equipment anchoring is designed with seismicity in mind: Karshi and Shakhrisabz are on the list of intensity 8 zones on the MSK-64 scale, and Kamashi District is intensity 9 (annex to Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 727, 2025).
Supply to the region
We supply materials to Karshi, Shakhrisabz, Mubarek, Guzar and to sites in other districts; the volume, storage conditions and delivery schedule are agreed with the contractor and the client’s team. Where necessary, we organise application by partners with experience of working at hazardous production facilities.
Oil and gas facilities in the sands are covered on the Bukhara Region page, work in the southern heat on the Surkhandarya page, and the list of all regions is in the “Regions” section.
Questions about projects in Kashkadarya
Can a material in a foreign contractor’s specification be replaced?
Yes, if the substitution is backed by documents: the same type of system, comparable tests, compatibility of the coats and the client’s approval. We prepare such a comparison and respond to comments — see approval support.
How can you tell that corrosion is developing under insulation?
From indirect signs — streaks, damaged cladding, wet insulation — and by selectively opening up the insulation in risk areas. It is better to draw up an inspection plan in advance than to go looking for a leak.
What tests should fire protection for a gas facility have?
Those required by the design and the client’s specification: as a rule, tests to the hydrocarbon curve (for example, to UL 1709), and where there is a risk of jet fire, also to ISO 22899-1. In addition, we check which documents for the material will be required in Uzbekistan at the date of delivery.
Working on a project in Kashkadarya Region? Send us the client’s specification or a description of the unit and we will prepare a solution and a comparison of materials. Calls and messengers: +998 94 094 52 27. For project documentation — info@ognezashita.uz.