Fuel shortages in Kazakhstan to be resolved by 2015

The problem of fuel shortages in Kazakhstan's local market will be resolved after implementation of the Comprehensive plan of oil refineries development in 2009-2015, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Kazakhstan Competition Protection Agency. According to the authority, these plans will help “fully meet local demand for key oil products, like gasoline, aviation fuel and diesel fuel, and ensure comprehensive development of the oil refining industry.” The Agency says that currently oil processing depth of local plants is way behind that of modern Western oil refineries. Processing volumes are way behind production volumes. Only 12 percent of crude is processing, whereas in Russia 50 percent of produced crude is processed. The Comprehensive Development Plan involves modernization and increase of capacities of Kazakhstan's leading oil refineries, as well as construction of a plant for production of benzene hydrocarbons and a plant for deep oil processing. Earlier the Competition Protection Agency started inspecting Kazakhstan's fuel market. Representatives of the Agency said that in case any violations of anti-monopoly legislation are discovered, the persons guilty will be fined 226,800 tenge ($1,553).