News Roundup

News Roundup - November 8, 2007

By SRI ⋅ November 8, 2007 ⋅

Reuters: Parker Drilling gets new contracts for three land rigs

Oil and gas driller Parker Drilling Co said its subsidiaries operating in Mexico and Kazakhstan got new contracts for three land rigs…

Reuters: Kazakh ministry denies Kashagan suspension plan

Kazakhstan’s environment minister denied on Wednesday that he sought to suspend activities at the giant Kashagan oilfield if a consortium of Western oil companies developing it did not comply with ecological requirements…

Reuters: Kazakhstan plans no sovereign bonds this yr or next

Kazakhstan has no plans to issue sovereign bonds this year or next, the economy ministry said on Wednesday, backtracking on an earlier statement that it may do so to boost confidence in domestic banks…

Reuters: Kazakh TuranAlem seeks control of Turkey Sekerbank

TuranAlem, Kazakhstan’s second-largest bank, wants to increase its stake in Turkey’s Sekerbank, the Kazakh bank said on Wednesday…

Forbes: European Minerals sees first gold pour from Varvarinskoye by end-Dec

European Minerals Corp said it sees first gold pour from Varvarinskoye gold/copper project in Northern Kazakhstan by December end as it plans to begin introducing ore into the process plant by mid November…

Kazinform: Kazakh Secretary of State held a number of meetings in Washington

Kazakh State Secretary Kanat Saudabayev met with Alcee Hastings, the chairman of the US Helsinki Commission, congressman and Tom Lantos, the chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs within the frame of his working visit to the United States of America, Kazinform refers to the MFA’s press-service.

EurasiaNet: Russia urges formation of Central Asia energy club

Russia wants to use the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a mechanism to regulate Central Asian energy exports. It remains to be seen whether China, the other power in the SCO, shares Russia’s energy vision.

Hemscott: Halyk Bank long-term foreign currency IDR affirmed ‘BB+’ - Fitch

Fitch Ratings said it affirmed Kazakhstan-based Halyk Bank’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating ‘BB+’, short-term foreign currency issuer default at ‘B’, long-term local currency issuer default at ‘BBB-’…

Interfax: PetroKazakhstan output declines 4.4% in Q3

PetroKazakhstan, a joint venture between Kazakhstan’s KazMunayGas and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), saw oil production decline 4.4% in the third quarter year-on-year to 13.019 million barrels (1.681 million tonnes) , the company said in a statement on Wednesday…

Interfax: Nazarbayev holds talks with Syrian PM, vice president

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Utri and Vice President Farouk al-Shara during an ongoing state visit to Syria…

Kazinform: Kazakhstan, the US to sign five-year military coop plan in January 2008

A five-year military cooperation plan of Kazakhstan and the US will be signed in January, 2008. Daniyal Akhmetov, the Defense Minister of Kazakhstan has maid it public today during the meeting with the US military delegation chaired by Admiral William Fallon…

Global Voices Online: Kazakhstan: Interview with Akhan Satayev, Film Director

Tomorrow the movie theatres of Kazakhstan and Russia will start shows of “Racketeer”, one of the first Kazakhstani commercial film-making experiences…

Kazinform: 30 corporate leaders – a way to turn leading national companies into modern transnational corporations

November 6, 2007 will take its place in the history of Kazakhstan’s modernization as a date of official start of the governmental (national) program 30 corporate leaders of Kazakhstan…