Moving KMG office from Astana to Aktau is impractical: Oil and Gas Ministry

Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Ministry considers moving the headquarters of KazMunaiGas Exploration&Production from Astana to Aktau an impractical step, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Minister Sauat Mynbayev as saying at the briefing in Kazakhstan President’s Central Communications Service. “As I understand, this decision has not been made yet. What concerns the Ministry’s vision, we believe that this is most probably impractical because KMG E&P has got several branches, including EmbaMunaiGas, OzenMunaiGas. Being the legal entities, they have full authorities on decision-making in the regions. Secondly, the company has got assets located not only in Mangistau oblast. I am not sure that it is easier to manage these assets from Aktau, rather than from Astana,” Mynbayev said. The rumors on the possible move of the company’s headquarters emerged in January after Alik Aidarbayev was appointed Akim (Governor) of Mangistau oblast. The company refuted this information saying that the decision to move had not been brought to shareholders for voting. By Gulnara Zhandagulova