KazMunaiGas: Despite growing production, revenue remains flat

While oil prices keep breaking new records seemingly everyday, KazMunaiGas, the Kazakh national oil company, has not registered a significant increase in revenues so far this year.

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Regional News Roundup - April 30, 2008

Freedom House media reoprt paints bleak pocture for Central Asia, Caucasus

(EurasiaNet) - The news is bleak for media outlets in the Caucasus and Central Asia, according to an annual report released by Freedom House on April 29. And the forecast calls for periods of repression, heavy at times…

Society Roundup - April 30, 2008

Safe water? Lessons from Kazakhstan

(Science Daily) - Despite significant efforts to improve access to safe water and sanitation, a new report co-authored by an expert at The University of Nottingham, argues that much more needs to be done…

Kyrgyz protest against concessions to Kazakhstan

(Neweurasia.net) - As we already reported earlier, the long-running dispute between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan over ownership of resorts on the shores of Lake Issyk Kul has been resolved in favor of Kazakhstan. But far not everyone in Kyrgyzstan is happy with the compromise…

Alarm at state-backed planned new Religion Law

(Forum 18) - Human rights activists and some religious communities have expressed alarm at a planned new Religion Law penalising “unapproved” religious activities…

Politics Roundup - April 30, 2008

Medvedev to visit Kazakhstan, China after inauguration

(RIA Novosti) - Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that he intended to pay his first official foreign visits in the capacity of president to Kazakhstan and China…

Ex-minister of finance appointed secretary of the ministry

(Interfax) - Natalia Korzhova has been appointed secretary of the Kazakh Finance Ministry…

Publicity over Aliev’s case is the guarantee of no more such conspiracies in the future - KNB chief (Interfax)

Kidnapped Nurbank bankers are unlikely to be alive, says KNB chief (Interfax)

Business and Economy Roundup - April 30, 2008

EBRD to invest in Kazakh private equity fund

(Reuters) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) plans to invest up to $94 million into a Kazakh state-controlled private equity fund, the bank said…

Kazakhstan sets up funds to push innovation

(Reuters) - Kazakhstan will team up with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and other big investors this year to set up several funds to promote innovative projects, officials said on Tuesday…

Kazakhstan outlook cut to negative; ratings of 12 banks affirmed - S&P

(Thomson Financial/Forbes) - Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said it lowered its outlook on the long-term sovereign credit ratings on the Republic of Kazakhstan to negative from stable…

S&P revises Kazakh outlook on bank, funding woes (Reuters/Guardian)

Kazakh bank Nurbank repays $150 million Eurobond

(Reuters/Yahoo! News) - Mid-size Kazakh bank Nurbank has repaid a $150 million Eurobond, or more than half of all outstanding foreign debt it is scheduled to repay this year, it said on Tuesday…

Kazakhstan outlook revised to negative

(CPI Financial) - The global credit squeeze is more severe, and likely to prove more prolonged, than anticipated in October 2007 when Kazakhstan’s long-term foreign currency rating was lowered to BBB- from BBB…

S&P revised outlook on various Kazakh GREs

(Interfax) - Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on several sovereign and corporate government-related entities (GREs) of Kazakhstan and their subsidiaries…

Although asset quality continues to deteriorate, the problems are manageable (Interfax)

Kazakhstan Kagazy announces new board appointments (Business Newswire/Yahoo! Finance)

Mineral Resources Roundup - April 30, 2008

Kazakhmys aims to triple power plant output by 2014

(Reuters) - Mining group Kazakhmys aims to triple power output by 2014 at its new Ekibastuz coal-fired power plant, the largest in Kazakhstan, the firm said on Thursday…

ENRC pays $300 mln for 50 pct Brazil iron ore stake

(Reuters) - Kazakh mining group ENRC paid $300 million for a 50 percent stake in a Brazilian firm developing an iron ore deposit, ENRC said on Thursday, in its first foray outside eastern Europe…

Hambledon Mining says Sekisovskoye mine fully operational, producing gold (Thomson Financial/Hemscott)

Kazakhmys provides Q1 production report (Mineweb)

Energy Roundup - April 30, 2008

Kashagan consortium unable to announce investment

(Reuters) - The consortium developing Kazakhstan’s Kashagan oil field is still not able to announce the level of its investments, Eni Chief Executive Paolo Scaroni said on Tuesday…

Eni in talks with Kazakh government on updated Kashagan plan

(Dow Jones/CNN Money) - Eni SpA (E), Italy’s largest oil and natural gas company by volume, is currently holding talks with the government of Kazakhstan on an updated plan for the massive Kashagan oil field, meaning it can’t publish the details yet…

Transparency International includes KazMunayGas in Middle IOC performers

(Interfax) - Transparency International (TI) has issued the 2008 Report on Revenue Transparency of Oil and Gas Companies…

Iran interested in Caspian oil transit to Gulf markets (Interfax/Red Orbit)

Alhambra Resources Ltd. - Year 2007 financial and operational results (CNW Resources)

Naturvernforbundet develops energy activites in Caucasus and Central Asia (Naturvern)