ASTANA (TCA) — Coal production in Kazakhstan will remain at 101.5 million tons this year despite difficulties with export, the Energy Ministry of Kazakhstan said on its website.
According to the ministry, last year Kazakhstan produced 102.2 million tons of coal, five percent less than in 2014.
Last year, the country exported 29.2 million tons of coal (four percent less than in 2014) and 67.5 million tons were consumed on the domestic market, the ministry said.
“Coal exports were not fulfilled in full volumes due to the refusal of Russian power plants from contracted volumes. Those refusals were caused by Russia’s decreasing demand for coal used as the main fuel for electricity and heat generation, as well as by Russia’s import substitution policy,” the ministry said.
The Energy Ministry also said that this year, Kazakhstan plans to produce 77 million tons of oil ad export 60 million tons.
“The tasks for 2016 include maintaining the plan of oil extraction at 77 million tons, processing at 14.3 million tons, and export at 60 million tons,” the ministry said.
The tasks for this year also include increasing oil production by expanding oil extraction at the Tengiz oil field and resuming offshore oil production at the Kashagan field in the Caspian Sea.
According to the ministry, last year Kazakhstan produced 79.46 million tons of oil and condensate and processed 14.5 million tons of crude.
