Nazarbayev meets French Total CEO

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev has met with the CEO of French oil giant Total Patrick Pouyanne on Tuesday, April 14, Tengrinews reports citing the press office of Akorda.

During the meeting, Nazarbayev and Pouyanne discussed the bilateral cooperation and plans for the upcoming period.

The Kazakh leader reminded that Total had been working in Kazakhstan since 1993 and had been participating in various large-scale projects. “We have big tasks and the main one is to develop Kashagan oil field and other blocks where the company operates. With participation of Toal, the Institute of Welding is functioning (on the basis of Karaganda State Technical University) and projects in the field of solar energy are being implemented. I believe we will continue the tradition of friendly relations and cooperation in all areas,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

Total’s CEO Patrick Pouyanne, in turn, emphasized the importance of preserving a favorable climate for foreign investors. He also expressed hope for further development of the cooperation.

Being one of the largest oil companies in the world, French Total is also a long-term strategic partner of Kazakhstan. French Total is one of the six international companies that are involved in the development of one of the most challenging oil projects - Kashagan oil and gas field in western Kazakhstan, which is one of the world's largest crude oil discoveries of the last 40 years.

Apart from Total, which holds 16.81 percent at the North Caspian Project of the consortium developing Kashagan field, the other companies operating in Kashagan are Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGas (16.88 percent), American ExxonMobil (16.81 percent), Royal Dutch Shell (16.81 percent), Italian Eni (16.81 percent), Chinese CNPC with 8.33 percent and Japanese Inpex (7.56 percent).

In addition, the French company has been exploring other promising oil and gas fields in Kazakhstan, for example, in 2013, it acquired 75 percent in two exploration blocks - North and South Nurmunai - in Aktobe Oblast in western Kazakhstan.

Total also established cooperation with Kazakhstan’s leading universities, such as Astana-based Nazarbayev University and Almaty-based Kazakh-British Technical University.

Besides, Total continues to foster cooperation with Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company KazMunaiGas.

By Assel Satubaldina