Kazakh Minister Notes Need to Increase Oil Supplies at Home

Text of report by privately-owned Kazakhstan Today news agency website

Astana, 15 July: The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan thinks that it is necessary to increase oil supplies to the domestic market so as to decrease the prices of oil products.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sauat Mynbayev said this at a government session today.

“On Thursday [17 July] we are gathering all subsoil users and ahead of the autumn field work, we will try to increase oil supplies to the domestic market, including through administrative measures,” Sauat Mynbayev said in reply to Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov’s question as to what measures his department intended to take in connection with a hike in the prices of oil products.

“There is no other option yet,” the energy and mineral resources minister noted.

Furthermore, he said that the price parameters of fuel oil would be agreed at the meeting with the subsoil users.

“Preparations for the heating season have started, the price of fuel oil has considerably increased and neared export and Russian prices,” the minister explained.

“All these issues will be considered on Thursday. Allow me to report on the results of this session separately,” Mynbayev told the prime minister.

Originally published by Kazakhstan Today news agency website, Almaty, in Russian 0535 15 Jul 08.

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