From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Fri Jul 11 2003 - 09:11:30 EDT
CASPIAN NEWS AGENCY
CNA all-inclusive newsline
/12:27 11.07.2003/ Kazakhstan to invest up to 30 billion in the Kazakh
Caspian shelf
Alma-Ata, July 11, 2003. (CNA). Kazakhstan, which is pinning its hopes
for future prosperity on its Caspian oil riches, said Thursday that it
planned to attract up to $30 billion in foreign investment by 2015, way
below earlier official estimates. Reuters reports that the Central Asian
state's top energy official also rushed to dispel concerns among
industry analysts that oil majors may opt to invest in Iraq's recovering
oil business rather than in landlocked projects in the Kazakh part of
the Caspian. "Until 2015, we see an investment of $28 billion to $30
billion in the Kazakh Caspian shelf," Energy Minister Vladimir Shkolnik
told a teleconference. Shkolnik said Kazakhstan's recoverable reserves
of hydrocarbons in the Caspian were estimated at 8 billion metric tons.
He did not give a breakdown for crude oil and gas. He reiterated that
the government planned to tender the first of dozens of Caspian oil
blocks sometime in 2004 or 2005. Shkolnik said the government aimed to
attract up to $5 billion in foreign direct investment by 2005, another
$10 billion in 2006-10, and up to $15 billion in 2011-15. The figures
contrast sharply with official forecasts made public in Canada last
month as Kazakhstan finally unveiled its top-secret Caspian oil
development program. Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev gave an
estimate of "more than $150 billion" to be attracted to the energy
sector. Shkolnik said at the time that the plan, aimed to boost Kazakh
overall energy output, would bring in a more modest $70 billion by 2015.
______
/11:55 11.07.2003/ EU special representative for South Caucasus not to
deal with Karabakh settlement directly
Yerevan, July 11. 2003. (CNA). European Union (EU) special
representative for the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie stated in Yerevan
today he will not engage the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
directly. In the Finnish diplomat's words, as reported by "Mediamax"
agency, if needed, he will contribute to the OSCE Minsk group mediation
format. Talvitie noted, "the solution to the conflict should be found in
the region and international organizations can only promote
implementation of agreements achieved." It should be reminded that the
newly appointed EU special envoy to the South Caucasus was co-chair of
the Minsk conference over the Nagorno Karabakh issue in 1995-1996.
______
When re-using CNA content, we require that you credit Caspian News
Agency by including "CNA/www.caspian.ru"
|
