Kazakhstan to Up Oil Production 1.6%, Gas 5.3% in 2006

ASTANA. Feb 26 (Interfax) – Kazakhstan plans to raise oil production 1.6% and natural gas production 5.3% in 2006.

The Kazakh Energy and Mineral Resources said in a press release that the country was aiming to produce 62.5 million tonnes of oil and gas condensate and 27.6 bcm of gas in 2006.

Oil production grew 4.1% to 61.5 million tonnes and gas production was up 27.7% to 26.2 bcm in 2005 compared with 2004, the ministry said.

Alexei Pirogov, head of the ministry’s Gas Industry Department, said at a meeting hosted by the ministry on February 23 that liquefied gas production grew 2.3% in 2005 to 1.25 million tonnes. Pirogov said domestic supplies grew 5% to 430,000 tonnes and that 818,000 tonnes were exported.

He also said that Kazakhstan transited 115 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas across its territory in 2005 – 11% more than in 2004.

Kazakhstan plans to produce 87.3 million tonnes of coal and 73 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2005, the ministry’s press release said.

Kazakhstan exported 54.6 million tonnes of oil and gas condensate in 2005 – 3.2% more than in 2005.

The country produced 86.385 million tonnes of coal in 2005. Power generation rose 1.3% to 67.819 billion kWh.