Brent crude edges up after major Kazakhstan oil field shuts down
Brent crude prices ticked up to $64.11 on Tuesday after fires forced a shutdown at Kazakhstan's Tengiz and Korolev oil fields.
The halt follows recent temporary production halts at Tengiz and Korolev, pushing national production down by 35%—and putting extra pressure on global oil supplies.
Why does this matter?
Tengiz isn't just any oil field—it's Kazakhstan's largest, pumping around 890,000 barrels a day in 2025 (around the first three quarters of 2025).
With Chevron operating the field and ExxonMobil a major shareholder, any disruption here can ripple through energy markets and even impact what you pay at the pump.
What happened on the ground?
Thankfully, no one was hurt in the fires, but operators paused production to sort out power issues and keep things safe.
Investigations are underway to figure out what caused it.
There have also been recent drone attacks and other snags slowing things down.