Gasoline shortage in Kazakhstan is ridiculous: Nazarbayev

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev believes that Kazakhstan needs one more oil refinery, Tengrinews reports. "The country needs more gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel. It is ridiculous, Kazakhstan is an oil producing country. We should immediately construct a new oil refinery," Nazarbayev said in his annual state-of-the-union address. At the same time, he called Kazakhstan not to give up on develop of nuclear energy industry as its has great prospects. "The demand for cheap energy will be continue growing in the foreseeable future," he said. "Kazakhstan can’t lag, because this type of energy will be in high demand soon," Nazarbayev said adding that that Kazakhstan was a world leader by uranium production, “we should develop our own (nuclear) fuel production and build nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan.” Besides, he called Kazakhstan to step up efforts to ensure transition of public transport to environmentally-friendly fuel, make electric cars widespread in Kazakhstan and the infrastructure they require. Tengrinews earlier reported that KazMunaiGas National Oil and Gas Company would complete a feasibility study to construct the 4th oil country in Kazakhstan by 2015. “In 2014 the Company plans to get down to making a feasibility study to construct the 4th oil refinery; the works are expected to be completed by 2015. Any precise information on location of the plant and its raw materials supplies will only be available in 2015,” Samruk-Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund Managing Director Malik Salimgiriyev said. Currently there are three oil refineries in Kazakhstan: in Atyrau, Pavlodar and Shymkent. All of them are being upgraded to ensure production of a higher quality fuel. “Given the upgrades, the new oil refinery may be needed only after 2025,” he added. By Renat Tashkinbayev