Kazakhstan increased gas transportation in 2011: Oil and Gas Minister

In 2011 Kazakhstan increased gas transportation by 18% - mostly due to transit of Turkmenistan’s gas to China, Newskaz.ru quoted the country’s Minister of Oil and Gas Sauat Mynbayev as saying February 2. At the same time “transit of Uzbekistan’s gas to Russia across Kazakhstan has diminished”. “Thanks to gas transit to China, we have obtained an access to Turkmenistan’s gas. Throughout the heating season starting from January 8, 2011 Kazakhstan consumed 283 million cubic meters of Turkmenistan’s gas. This heating season we plan to consume another 500 million cubic meters”. In a separate statement the Minister said that Kazakhstan extends the ban on exports of light petroleum products through the end of 2012. The ban had earlier introduced by the Kazakh Government was to be in effect before July 2012.