Oil Chronicles
Oil Chronicles 2021
January
Gasoline from Atyrau refinery is certified for compliance with EU standards.
"The product has passed the full quality assessment procedure for chemicals and their mixtures intended for import to the European Union market with the issuance of the REACH certificate. This is an important step in developing export opportunities for the Kazakhstani enterprise, which is now a registered importer of gasoline for the EU countries," the enterprise's press service reported.
Earlier, in April 2020, the REACH certification was passed for aromatic hydrocarbons produced by Atyrau refinery: benzene and paraxylene. Accordingly, gasoline became the third product of the enterprise with confirmed compliance with European quality standards.
Since January 15, the quarantine on the Tengiz, Prorva and Morskoye fields being developed in the Atyrau region has been extended by the decree of the chief sanitary doctor of the Zhylyoy district. Restrictive measures are extended from 12 am on January 15 until the epidemiological situation for COVID-19 is stabilized, the document says.
On January 18, the Board of Directors of ONHP PJSC (formerly Omskneftekhimproekt) closed the company's representative office in Pavlodar (Kazakhstan) and opened it in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). According to the company's press service, the reason was a change in the tax legislation in Kazakhstan. The company's general director is Igor Zuga, a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Omsk Region.
January 20, Energy Minister Nurlan Nogayev met with the new General Director of Tengizchevroil LLP, Kevin Lyon, the press service of the Ministry reports.
The Minister thanked the previous CEO, Imer Bonner, for the fruitful joint work and wished Kevin Lyon good luck. During his speech, the Minister noted that according to the company's constituent documents, a citizen of Kazakhstan might be appointed Head of TCO in the future, stressing that this step will be a significant contribution to the long and successful history of cooperation between the Government of Kazakhstan and Chevron, the message says.
The Minister thanked the company for its assistance to the country in the fight against the pandemic and gave several instructions concerning strengthening sanitary safety measures at the Tengiz field.
At a meeting in Samruk-Kazyna JSC, the Management of the National Company KazMunayGas reported that by the end of 2020, KMG has maintained financial stability, significantly reduced operating and capital expenditures, reduced the debt burden by 472 mln US dollars, and also refinanced Eurobonds by $907 mln.
The Ministry of Energy announced that an online auction for the right to explore and produce hydrocarbons in Kazakhstan would be held on April 23. Application for participation in the auction, where it is planned to realize the right to exploration and production at 15 sites, until March 25, 2021, inclusive, can be submitted on the website of the operator of electronic auctions: www.gosreestr.kz, the message says.
On January 26, Arfan Khan became the chief executive officer of the British company Nostrum Oil & Gas PLC, the KASE exchange said in a statement. Khan also joined the board of directors. Previously, Atul Gupta was the Acting Executive Director. After Khan's appointment, he will return to his position as Executive Chairman of the company's Board of Directors.
The main producing asset of the company is the Chinarevskoye field in the West Kazakhstan region (100% participation share), which is being developed by Zhaikmunai LLP, a 100% subsidiary of Nostrum Oil & Gas PLC. In addition, the company owns a 100% stake in the Rostoshinskoye, Daryinskoye and Yuzhno-Gremyachinskoye oil and gas fields, the development of which is also carried out through Zhaikmunai LLP. These assets, which are at the exploration and development stage, are located in the Caspian basin to the northwest of Uralsk.
January 27, a meeting of the Council of the Kazenergy Association was held in an online format, dedicated to the results of work in 2020 and plans for 2021. It was attended by Minister of Energy Nurlan Nogayev, Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Magzum Mirzagaliyev, members of Parliament, representatives of major operators, members of the Association.
Opening the event, the Chairman of the Association Timur Kulibayev noted that the coronavirus pandemic, the decline in demand for energy resources, price volatility, the restriction of production levels are only part of the issues that all oil and gas producing countries, global energy companies and the expert community have faced with the need to solve. The Government of Kazakhstan has adopted and continues to consider a package of anti-crisis measures that optimally meet the needs of the national economy and the social sector. The Kazenergy Association, being the largest dialogue platform between the Government, Parliament and companies, actively participates in this work.