Construction of gas pipeline in Kazakhstan's north will start in 2013

Construction of a gas pipeline to Kazakhstan’s northern regions will start in 2013, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Managing Director of Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund Malik Salimgereyev as saying at the briefing in Astana. “As for gas transportation and marketing, the plan is to provide gas supplies of Kazakhstan’s cities by construction of Kartaly-Tobol-Kokshetau-Astana gas pipeline. It was mentioned in the President’s State-of-Union Address this year. So, this is the task vested on KazMunaiGas. The design and estimate documentation is currently being completed and provided there is financing, the construction of the pipeline should start next year,” Salimgereyev said. According to him, the pipeline’s capacity will make 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. He also said that there were plans to expand gas distribution network in Kazakhstan's south. “Gas pipeline Beineu-Bozoi-Shymkent is meant for gas supplies to south Kazakhstan. It is to be constructed in two stages. Bozoi-Shymkent is the first stage and it costs 6 billion tenge ($40 million). The second stage in Beineu-Bozoi,” the Fund’s Managing Director said. He also added that pipe branches will be made during the construction to supply nearby cities with gas from the pipelines. “This will be done in Aktobe and South-Kazakhstan oblast, etc.,” Salimgereyev explained. By Aidana Ussupova