ASTANA (TCA) — The plant to produce barite concentrates at the Bestobe deposit in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda province will reach its design capacity in 2018, the Ministry of Investment and Development of Kazakhstan said.
Implementation of the project of the plant to produce high-quality barite concentrates based on the Bestobe deposit was discussed at the ministry on January 11.
The project is being implemented in collaboration with Halliburton company, the world’s leader in oilfield services for the oil and gas industry.
A barium ore and barite concentrate production complex in Karazhal, the Karaganda region, was brought into operation last December as part of Kazakhstan’s Industrialization Map program.
Construction of the plant was started in 2015 with Kazakhstani and foreign investments. The total cost of the project is KZT 4.5 billion.
The plant’s projected capacity is 200 thousand tons of barite concentrates per annum. The project has created more than 100 jobs.
The plant’s operation line is designed in the United States taking into account the peculiarities of Karaganda region deposits.
Some 70 percent of barite products produced at the plant will be exported to six countries – basically to oil and gas enterprises in Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and also to North Sea countries – Norway and Denmark. The remaining 30 percent of the products will be oriented at the domestic market, to such companies as Halliburton, Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V., Tengizchevroil, CNPC, and others.
