Kazakhstan to designate exclusive gas exporter

Plans are there to export Kazakhstan’s gas exclusively through a national operator’s pipelines, Lyazzat Kiinov, Vice Minister of Oil and Gas, announced today, Profinance.kz reports. “Thus means that, say, TengizChevroil or Chinese companies will not be exporting gas: they are supposed to sell gas to the national operator at a wholesale price, and the national operator will be in charge of exports operations”, he said when addressing the Senate on Tuesday. “The national operator will be designated by the Government. Its prime task will be to make sure the domestic demand is met, the rest of the gas could be exported”, he added. “This measure will be a cushion against steep price hikes… so that the population of Kazakhstan wouldn’t be hit by such price hikes”, he elaborated. According to him, a draft legislation on gas distribution providing for a sole operator of gas purchases is to be submitted to the Government for consideration in May, Interfax – Kazakhstan reports.