Kazakhstan's 2014 oil production figure expected to be lower than 2013 figure: Energy Vice-Minister

 In 2014 Kazakhstan is unlikely to reach the 2013 crude production output level, Newskaz.ru reports, citing the country’s Energy Vice Minister Uzakbai Karabalin as saying.

“Last year was record high for the country’s oil production … This year’s figure only stands at 98.7% of the last year’s”, he told a briefing at the President’s Service for Public Communications.
According to him, the lagging behind the plan has to do with the scheduled repairs of equipment at TengizChevroil, a major oil producing facility.

TengizChevroil every year suspends its operations for 25-30 days due to some scheduled maintenance works. This year, the facility planned some extra maintenance works on the sour gas injection plant; therefore, the maintenance works took 75 days rather than 30 days. The losses turned out to be irretrievable as every day of suspended operations at an oilfield of this scale has a certain effect on the entire industry.

Back in 2013 Kazakhstan produced 81.731 million tons of oil, including condensed gas, 3.2% up against 2012. Crude production made up 69.430 million tons (4.4% up), production of condensed gas totaled 12.301 million tons (3.5% down).