KazTransGas increases volume of gas transportation in 1st half of year
The volume of gas transportation of KazMunaiGas subsidiary — KazTransGas (www.kaztransgas.kz)- through mains amounted to 56.4 billion cubic meters during the first half of 2012, compared to 54.3 billion cubic meters in the same period last year, the company said on Tuesday.
“Thus, the volume of transportation through the mains of Intergas Central Asia amounted to .1 billion cubic meters (50.8 billion cubic meters in the first half of 2011), of which the volume of international transit — 39.7 billion cubic meters, the volume of gas to domestic transportation — 5.5 billion cubic meters, the volume of transporting gas for export amounted to 5.9 billion cubic meters,” the company said.
The volume of transportation through the mains of Kazakhstan-China Asian Pipeline amounted to 5.3 billion cubic meters (3.5 billion cubic meters in the first half of 2011).
Rompetrol starts drilling first exploration well overseas
Rompetrol’s ‘Upstream’ division (E & P) (a Kazmunaigaz’s owned company) begins drilling the first exploration well on Focsani block in Romania, the Kazakh national oil company KMG said on Tuesday.
‘The company has had the rights to explore the block since 2005’, KMG said. ‘The KAZ 1 exploration well is located in the north-west of the block near the Fitioneshti settlement with a planned depth of 4200 metres. However, the company plans to implement a 2D-seismic survey (not less than 200 km) in the south-west section (Prunen structure) to further explore the potential of the block’.
According to the report, this action will open a new chapter in the history of the Kazakh oil and gas industry and that of the National Company KazMunayGas and Rompetrol Group.
Living wage in Kazakhstan hits 113 USD in July
Amount of a living wage hit 16,979 tenge (about $113) in Kazakhstan in July 2012, Kazakh Statistics Agency said on Wednesday.
“Amount of living wage in Kazakhstan, on average, per capita, calculated based on minimum norms of consumption of basic foodstuffs, decreased by 1.2 percent in July 2012, compared to the previous month,” the Agency said.
Compared to July 2011, living wage rate rose by 2.2 percent.
In the structure of living wage, share of costs for meat and fish hit 23 percent, milk, butter and fat products and eggs – 15.3 percent, fruit and vegetables – 12.1 percent, bread and cereal products – 7.4 percent, sugar, tea and spice – 2.2 percent.
Kazakhstan wins third gold at London Olympics
Kazakh athlete Maya Maneza won a gold medal in weightlifting in the weight to 63 kg. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has sent a telegram to the Kazakh athlete, congratulating her on her victory and establishing a new Olympic record in London, Kazakh Presidential press service reported.
“Congratulations on a brilliant and very convincing victory in the competition in weightlifting at the XXX Olympic Games in London. Winning a gold medal, you have once again proved to everyone that you are one of the best athletes in the world. With your skill, purposefulness and the will to win, you deserved great respect of opponents, admiration and support of millions of fans. I wish you further gladden Kazakhs with your vivid sports achievements,” the congratulatory telegram says. Maneza lifted 245 kg (100 135 kg) in sum in the clean and jerk combination, setting an Olympic record. This is the third gold medal of Kazakhstan at the London Olympics. Earlier, racing cyclist Alexander Vinokourov and weightlifter Zulfiya Chinshanlo won gold.
Kazakhstan: cooperazione con la Svizzera per migliorare la logistica di trasporto tra Europa e Asia
Astana, 27 LUG – KTZ, le ferrovie kazake, e 
(Svizzera) hanno firmato un accordo di cooperazione al fine di implementare diversi progetti nel settore dei trasporti per il miglioramento della logistica in Kazakistan.
(nella foto, da sinistra: Zhambul A. Akhmetov , Presidente di KTS e Hans Reinhard, CEO di InterRail Holding AG)
KazMunaiGas, MOL signs SPA for share sale in JSC Karpovskiy Severniy
KazMunaiGas Exploration Production JSC (“KMG EP”) concluded the Share Purchase Agreement with MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Plc. (“MOL”) on sale of 49 percent of shares in Karpovskiy Severniy JSC, KMG reported on Thursday.
Karpovskiy Severniy JSC is a subsoil use right holder under the contract for exploration of oil, gas and condensate at Karpovskiy Severniy contract area in the Western Kazakhstan region.
As a result of this transaction KMG EP will form a joint venture with MOL to conduct further exploration activities on Karpovskiy Severniy exploration block.
According to the report, the 49 percent share in Karpovskiy Severniy JSC will be sold with premium to the initial purchase price and subject to price adjustment at closing.
“The transaction is subject to the consent of the Ministry of Oil and Gas in Kazakhstan, the waiver of state priority right and approval of the Kazakh and the EU antimonopoly bodies,” the report says.
Kazakhstan, Switzerland implement transit corridor project New Silk Road
Companies Kazakhstan Railways, InterRail Holding AG Switzerland and PTB Perse Forwarding Co Ltd will jointly implement the project of a new transit corridor New Silk Road with the use of advance information technology and IT-portal (“E-Train “), the press service of Kazakh companies said on Friday.
“It will be based on a memorandum of cooperation and collaboration that will be signed between the parties,” Kazakhstan Railways said.
The parties intend to jointly develop the routes West-East and East – West between Western Europe and Kazakhstan via Brest / Ozinki regular routes by connecting high-speed container trains East Wind and West Wind with the project Kazakhstan vector from Brest to Aktobe. As a result, the connection of traffic to / from China through the “hub” Aktobe is planned, as well as the development of transportation to the west of Kazakhstan and Central Asia to Western Europe via the national system of Kazakhstan.
Azerbaijan has no intentions to join the Customs Union
Goshin informed the Azeri delegation of the Customs Union and corresponding legislation. The Azeri side made public its decision not to join this organization and application of the new Customs Code in the country, the press release of the Azeri State Customs Committee reads.
The Customs Union between Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia came into existence on January 1, 2010. Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia removed all customs borders between each other after July 2011.
Kazakh President decreed new structure of the Armed Forces
July 19. KAZINFORM President of Kazakhstan signed a decree as of July 12, 2012 “On measures for further improvement of the structure of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan” to approve the new force structure, the Office of the Chief Military Prosecutor said.
According to the decree, the Supreme High Command General Headquarters is determined as the high politico-military command of the Armed Forces.
The force structure is as follows: Supreme High Command, bodies of military administration, services of the Armed Forces, special troops, and logistics services of the Armed Forces, military training schools and military-scientific institutions.
Bodies of military administration are divided into: strategic, operational-strategic, strategic-tactical, tactical, local.
The decree came into effect from the date of its signature.
Implementation of new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars rail project to be completed in 2013
E.Ismayilov/
It is planned to complete the implementation of the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars rail project in 2013, Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia Ramaz Nikolashvili told journalists in Baku on Wednesday.
“It is planned to launch a technical train to the border of Turkey until the end of 2012” the minister said.
Also Nikolashvili noted the importance of this project in terms of transportation of goods from China and Central Asia. The new project will annually transport up to 15 million tons of cargo.
The work is being carried out in accordance with the schedule and there is no problem in its implementation, Azerbaijani Transport Minister Ziya Mamedov told reporters.
