Prospects of oil processing sector's development discussed in Pavlodar

sp;PAVLODAR. November 14. KAZINFORM /Vera Livintsova/ Heads of large oil refineries of Kazakhstan have reported to the Prime Minister on the prospects of the sector's development. As is known the Head of the Government is taking part in a sitting of the state commission on this issue.

Problems of technical modernization were discussed at a meeting of K.Massimov with the directors of oil processing ventures. The meeting was held at the Pavlodar Oil Refinery.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sauat Mynbayev informed of the situation with diesel fuel production. Thus according to him, Kazakhstan produces enough amount of diesel fuel, but production of petrol of the brand of 92 and 93 is on a low level still. 40% of high-octane petrol is imported. "We need to reconstruct all three oil refineries of the country", the Minister noted.

Kazakhstan carries out a complex plan on development of oil processing plants in 2009-2015. KZT 900 mln will be invested in their reconstruction. Milliards of investments will be directed to modernization of the Atyrau Oil Refinery and PetroKazakhstanOilProducts venture in Shymnkent.

"It is necessary to provide Kazakhstan's demand in main oil products through reconstruction, expansion of the existing units and putting into service new ones and create additional capacities for deep processing" he said. 

The directors of the enterprises assured the PM that after the plant's reconstruction the country would fully refuse from fuel import.

The commission also considered the issues connected with construction of oil and gas pipelines. Oil production in Kazakhstan will grow, the participants noted. Russia, China and Caucasus will be major directions of oil supply.

"By the beginning of 2010 the state will set to regulation of fuel prices, but with establishment of the Customs Union  the price for fuel will depend on Russia", the PM said upon completion of the sitting.