Kazakhstan News Roundup - September 5, 2008

news roundup

Kazakhstan News Roundup - September 5, 2008

By SRI ⋅ September 5, 2008 ⋅

ENERGY:

Kashagan to start commercial production in 2014 - Kulibaev
(SRI) - Kazakhstan’s giant Kashagan field in the Caspian Sea is unlikely to start commercial production until 2014, Timur Kulibaev said on Thursday.

Foreign companies to save Kazakh transit
(TREND) - The influential oil companies in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will become catalyst in regulation of the issue on unhindered transport of Kazakh oil and oil products via Georgia to world markets.

Expansion of CPC pipeline to be completed by 2012
(SRI) - Expansion of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline capacity is to be completed by 2012, Kazakh Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sauat Mynbayev said.

Gazprom Neft, KazMunayGas sign cooperation accord (RBC News)

Batumi oil transshipments down in August (SRI)

KazEnergy 3rd Eurasian Energy Forum convenes in Astana (Regnum)

Kazakhstan plans to produce 100 mln tons of oil by 2015: Minister of Energy (Kazinform)

Forecasted volumes of crude gas production for 2010 and 2015 made public (Kazinform)

Kazakhstan committed to diversification of energy routes - PM (Interfax)

Construction of “Beineu-Bozoi-Akbulak” pipeline to be completed by 2014: S. Mynbayev (Kazinform)

Samruk JSC, German RWE signed memo of understanding (Kazinform)

MINERAL RESOURCES:

Severstal pays $1.6 bln for Kazakhstan, U.S. assets
(RIA Novosti) - Severstal paid $26.6 million for a 100% stake in a Kazakh gold producer.

Alhambra Resources Ltd. - Positive diamond drill results from Uzboy gold deposit (CNW)

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:

Metro group prepares market entry into Kazakhstan
(Flex News) - METRO Group plans the market entry of its self-service wholesale subsidiary Metro Cash & Carry into Kazakhstan.

Astana Finance mulls private equity funds
(SRI) - Astana Finance is considering the launch of several private equity funds worth up to $1 billion, Interfax reported on Wednesday citing the Deputy Chief Executive officer Alexander Savchuk.

Eurasian Bank plans to increase market share (SRI)

Azia Avto to broaden partnerships (SRI)

Samruk to borrow $400 million (SRI)

RFCA, Hyundai Securities signed memo of coop (Kazinform)

Kazakhstan gold/forex reserves rise to $21.7 bln (Reuters)

Kazakhstan harvested 10 mln tonnes of grain (AgriMarket.Info)

National Bank of Kazakhstan: Exchange rates September 5, 2008 (Kazinform)

Indicators - September 4, 2008 (Reuters)

POLITICS:

Permanent Envoy of Kazakhstan to OSCE appointed (Kazinform)

REGIONAL:

EU’s Piebalgs seeks political push for Nabucco gas
(RFE/RL) - The European Union must reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies by accelerating the planned Nabucco pipeline to bring gas from central Asia, says the EU’s energy chief.

Caspian leaders to meet over oil-rich sea status in October or November
(RIA Novosti) - The countries have so far failed to agree on how to divide the seabed.