(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Astana: Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan H E Almasadam Satkaliyev affirmed that the visit of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to his country paves the way for building a new phase of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially in light of the distinguished and developed relations that unite the two countries.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), H E the Energy Minister of Kazakhstan said that two countries have great potential that paves the way for establishing a strong partnership in various fields, including the promising energy sector, which is considered one of the most important future sectors in the field of environmentally friendly green energy.
He added that both countries are major oil producers, major global suppliers of raw materials and semi-finished products of the petrochemical industry, pointing out that Qatar is a major supplier of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), and Kazakhstan, in turn, is ready to cooperate with Qatari companies in the field of gas processing and gas chemistry.
He noted that his country is interested in increasing the resource base of commercial gas and the production of products with high added value through the development of gas processing and gas chemistry, as well as the construction of plants for the production of liquefied natural gas.
He explained that the State of Qatar is one of the world's largest producer of LNG and the leader in terms of exports on the world market. Qatari companies also have extensive experience in the application of modern oil and gas technologies, while Kazakhstan has a great potential in the raw gas resource base and shows a firm willingness to cooperate in the field of gas processing and gas chemistry with Qatari companies.
“The development of the gas chemistry market will make it possible to supply to domestic and international markets not raw materials, but products of its deep processing with high added value.
In this regard, we are interested in potential cooperation with QatarEnergy and QatarGas. We hope that the visit of HH the Amir will give a new impulse to cooperation in the above-mentioned areas,” HE said.
HE the Minister called on Qatari investors and Qatar Energy to develop gas processing facilities based on Kashagan raw materials (offshore oil field), as active work is underway to expand the Kashagan Gas Processing Plant within the framework of Phase 2A, and an open international tender for FEED+EPC of a new gas processing plant is being considered.
HE said that the priority of his country is the further development of the oil and gas industry in the Republic of Kazakhstan to produce large-tonnage petrochemicals. In this regard, a promising area of cooperation is the creation of a joint venture in the petrochemical industry. HE pointed out that to date, there is a need to attract a strategic partner to a project for the production of polyethylene, adding that QatarEnergy may be one of the potential partners.
HE revealed that negotiations are currently underway with the State of Qatar on a number of specific investment projects in such sectors as the agro-industrial complex, mining and metallurgical complex, tourism, oil and gas industry, infrastructure projects, energy, etc. He explained that the participation of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) in the implementation of projects in Kazakhstan together with the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund JSC is very important for his country, as both sides are interested in implementing several investment projects, which in the future would create prerequisites for the creation of a joint investment fund.
HE expected that QIA and JSC NWF“Samruk-Kazyna” will determine the pool of promising projects in the very near future, as the sovereign funds in the two countries will be the engines of strengthening bilateral investment cooperation, including in the energy sector.