Kazakhstan ready to resume energy supplies to South Korea - president

ASTANA. Sept 16 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan is ready to resume energy supplies to South Korea, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

Tokayev's press service quoted him as saying that Kazakhstan was among the world's leading hydrocarbon producers, pumping about 100 million tonnes of oil a year.

"We are ready to expand cooperation in this area, including by resuming energy supplies to Korea. We also see broad opportunities in geological exploration and the development of new subsoil blocks, where we have positive experience," Tokayev said at the first Central Asia-Republic of Korea summit in Seoul.

He said South Korea's national oil company KNOC was successfully developing oil fields in Kazakhstan, while Hyundai Engineering would take part in building a large gas processing plant as part of a consortium.

"Deep processing of raw materials offers major opportunities. Kazakhstan is actively developing its petrochemicals sector, including polypropylene and polyethylene, and invites Korean companies to set up new high-value-added production," Tokayev said.