Editor❜s Note
December is traditionally the summing-up month
December is traditionally the summing-up month. This year, unfortunately, does not have optimism. It began with widespread protests, turned by the "puppeteers" into riots and pogroms in January, and it increased the degree of tension in February when hostilities began in Ukraine.
They, in turn, caused a global economic war with the freezing of assets and gold and foreign exchange reserves, mutual sanctions, disruption of supply chains, and a shocking increase in energy prices, primarily for gas. Kazakhstan was also involved in this war as a supplier of energy resources to world markets. The development of events has shown its vulnerability due to geographical location and integration into various economic and political unions.
It seems that the consequences of the global reshaping of the geopolitical system as a result of the events of 2022-2023 will be comparable in scale to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
We will summarize the year's results in more detail in the first issue of Petroleum next year (do not forget to subscribe!). But it is already evident that Kazakhstan lost more than 2 million tons of oil from planned production in 2022. But it also acquired something as Kazakhstan's CPC Blend crude oil became the largest source of raw materials for European refineries in November.
I wish all our readers a peaceful new year 2023, health, and well-being! See you in the new year!
Best regards, Oleg Chervinskiy, Publisher