Focus of the issue: replenishment of stocks
If We Want to Use Earnings from the Resources in 35 years, We Should Prepare Now
Bazarbay Nurabayev, the Chairman of the Geology and Subsoil Committee of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, answers to Petroleum’s questions.
- Bazarbay Kanaevich, how is the geological sector of the country today?
- Kazakhstan is a major exporter of energy feedstock, ferrous, non-ferrous and noble metals. In particular, Kazakhstan owns 41% of the world's uranium and 16% of chromium. As you know, until 1990 the extraction of hydrocarbon reached about 20-25 million tons, and since the Republic's independence, the extraction volume increased in 4 times, of gold - in 2 times, and of manganese ore - in 8 times.
The Head of State instructed to strengthen the work on geologic exploration. Deputy Prime Minister Aset Isekeshev instructed the Geology and Subsoil Use Committee together with Kazgeology JSC to become active in this direction.
The main motive power of the State Program of forcing Industrial and Innovative Development (SPFIID) is a mineral base of the enterprises. The first five years have provided the industrial enterprises with minerals. The second five years will resolve the supply issues for newly established businesses. It is prepared the program for development of mineral base of the mineral complex for 2015-2019.
Mineral complex has a strategic importance for the country as it amounts up to 70% of GDP and provides a large part of exchange earnings. In 2012, the total percentage of completion for the main kinds of minerals made the planned 30%, and according to many types of metals new reserves exceeded the plan in several times.
It is clear that to supplement the country's mineral base we need to increase the costs for geological exploration in several times! If one observes the costs on the world example, the costs for exploration in the United States is $ 87, in Australia - $ 167, in Canada - $ 203 per a square kilometre.
The public funds allocated to the development of geology are annually increasing. Total costs from the Republic budget within the field programme are planned to reach more than 164 billion Tenge. At the same time it is planned to conduct the exploration work by the subsoil users at the expense of their own funds for the amount of $ 492 billion Tenge. For example, KazMunaiGas Company announced the allocation of 797 billion Tenge for geological exploration at the recently KAZENERGY Forum. We expect great discoveries with the attraction of new innovative technologies for exploration.
To provide the population with quality drinking water we hold the appropriate exploration works. "Drinking water" programme during 2004-2010 provided 559 rural settlements with groundwater reserves. From 2011, these works are carried out within the Ak Bulak programme. In 2013, 341 villages will be provided with water, and 35 underground water deposits were reapproved. The task of the Geology and Subsoil Committee of MINT of the RoK is to determine groundwater resources.
- As the Deputy Prime Minister - the Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan, Aset Isekeshev, reported at the recent briefing in the central communications service of the President of the RoK, there was established the Centre for geological studies in the country according to the international requirements. - Could you tell us, please, more details about this Centre?
- The Head of the State instructed to complete the creation of the Centre of the Earth Sciences until the end of 2013, and to intensify the work on attraction of large national and international companies to develop intellectual and innovation cluster of Nazarbayev University JSC in the current year. It should have innovative and intellectual cluster to facilitate the transfer and creation of new technologies.
This work is entrusted to NGC Kazgeology JSC together with Nazarbayev University JSC. Currently we are developing a master plan and Technical and Economic Assessment; we plan to engage into the Centre’s work scientific organizations and universities, including regional ones.
- The most urgent problem of the industry is a lack of young specialists. It was noted lots of times by the Minister of Industry and New Technologies. What work is being done to solve this problem?