BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

15/12/2006

Kazakhstan ready to deliver gas, oil to Belarus - ambassador

MOSCOW. Dec 15 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan is ready to deliver oil and gas to Belarus, Kazakh Ambassador to Belarus Bulat Iskakov said at a press conference on Friday in Minsk.

"There are opportunities. Kazakhstan produces 65 million tonnes of oil and 50 billion cubic meters of gas," the ambassador said, adding that if Kazakh oil is to be delivered to Belarus, "transportation issues with Russia must be solved."

"There is the Odessa-Brody pipeline. Ukrainian Prime Minister [Viktor Yanukovych] is currently is in Kazakhstan where he is discussing opportunities to use the pipeline for Kazakh oil deliveries," the ambassador said, adding that the pipeline makes it possible to pump oil to Belarus.

"We are going to increase extraction volumes up to 150 million tonnes by 2015, making us the world's fifth leading producer. We are interested in the diversification of oil deliveries," he said.

Five million tonnes of Kazakh oil are being pumped through Belarus today, he said.

Commenting on the possibility of delivering Kazakh gas to Belarus, Iskakov said that Kazakhstan "may transfer energy resources to Russia in exchange for Russian energy deliveries to Belarus." In any case, the price will be agreed upon, with the average price staying at $100 per 1,000 cubic meters in 2006, the ambassador said.

Source:

http://www.interfax.com/3/223219/news.aspx