About KazakhstanThe Caspian Sea region, including the Sea and the states surrounding it, is important to world energy markets because of its potential to become (as an evolving) a major oil and natural gas exporter over the next decade. The Caspian Sea region has become a central focus point for untapped oil and natural gas resources. The Republic of Kazakhstan or Kazakhstan, is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of northern and central Eurasia. A portion of its territory west of the Ural River is located in eastern-most Europe. It has borders with Russia, the People's Republic of China, and the Central Asian countries Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and has a coastline on the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan was a republic of the former Soviet Union and is now a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. 
Kazakhstan has Central Asia's largest economy, and its nominal gross domestic product (GDP)grew by 33 percent in 2004.This marked the sixth consecutive year of significant economic growth in Kazakhstan since its independence in 1991. The Country enjoyed double-digit growth in 2000-01 - and more than 9% per year in 2002-05 - thanks largely to its booming energy sector, but also to economic reform, good agricultural harvests, and direct foreign investment. Consequently,these economic indicators highlight its potential as a significant player in Central Asia as well as on the global scene. Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and processing of these natural resources and also on a growing engineering machine-building sector specializing in construction equipment. Sovereign Ratings of Kazakhstan as structural strengths of the economy by Fitch ratings are as of 20/12/2006
Link Standard & Poor’s ratings are as of Apr 17, 2006
Link Additional information http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/kazak.html Kazakhstan is important to world energy markets because it has significant oil and natural gas reserves and has the Caspian Sea region's largest reserves, and its production accounts for approximately two-thirds of the roughly 1.8 million barrels per day (bbl/d) currently being produced in the region. After years of foreign investment into the country's oil and natural gas sectors, the landlocked Central Asian state has recently begun to realize its enormous production potential. With sufficient export infrastructure options, Kazakhstan could become a major world energy producer and exporter over the next decade. Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/kazak.html Main Oil Transport routes
The opening of the Caspian Consortium pipeline in 2001, from western Kazakhstan's Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea, substantially raised export capacity. Kazakhstan also has begun work on an ambitious cooperative construction effort with China to build an oil pipeline that will extend from the country's Caspian coast eastward to the Chinese border. The country has embarked upon an industrial policy designed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the oil sector, by developing light industry. Oil and Natural Gas Export Issues
Exports to the West Alternative route to the Russian dominated northern export routes namely Atyrau-Samara. In October 2005, Kazakhstan signed a long-awaited inter-governmental agreement with Azerbaijan for the supply of crude oil to the BTC pipeline. The oil would be delivered from Kuryk (25km from Rakushechnoe field operating our company Caspioilgas), and roughly 100 km south of the major oil port of Aktau, and would then be shipped via tanker across the Caspian Sea to the port of Sangachal. Kazakhstan also announced it has begun building a new class of Caspian tankers to replace the existing vessels that currently carry much of the region's maritime oil trade. 
Exports to the East Exports to the South and Southwest An additional way for Caspian region exporters to supply Asian demand would be to pipe oil and natural gas south through Iran to the Persian Gulf or southwest to Afghanistan. Exports to the North and Northwest Russia has proposed multiple pipeline routes that utilize its existing and proposed infrastructure. Two new northwesterly pipelines were constructed, known as the "Northern" and "Western" Early Oil Pipelines. These extend from Baku to Novorossiysk (Russia), and Baku to Supsa (Georgia). Also, an existing northbound pipeline from Atyrau in Kazakhstan to Samara in Russia has been upgraded. Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/Caspian/Full.html Oil production potentialKazakhstan is ranked number 8 in the world for oil reserves. Its ranking is rapidly changing and output looks set to double to around 3.5mb/d in a couple of years and will probably continue to grow apace thereafter. According to various estimates of analysts, by 2010 oil exports from the Caspian region (Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan) in comparison with 2001 will grow by more than 2.5-3.5 times and will reach 100-148 million tons a year. http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2116.htmlSuch supergiant fields as Tengiz (operator is Shevron Texaco), Karachaganak (operator Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B. V. (KPO)- BG Group, Eni, Chevron, LUKOIL), Kashagan (Operator Consortium Agip KCO - Agip Caspian Sea B.V., KazMunayGas, ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., Shell Kazakhstan Development B.V., Total E&P Kazakhstan, ConocoPhillips, INPEX North Caspian Sea, Ltd. 8.33%), Kalamkas and others fields have been found already and there are chances for more giant fields to be discovered. Foreign oil companies are interested in increasing their Kazakh positions and several recent deals have confirmed this direction. China and India with their growing demands for oil see Kazakhstan as a natural target for their investment (Chinese Oil Company CNPC finished in 2005 procedures for purchasing 3-d oil company PetroKazakhstan). Kazakhstan takes 21st place in oil production in the world with 1 300 000 bbl/day(2005). http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2173rank.html |
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