Kazakhstan may lift ban on light petroleum products exports
ASTANA. Aug 21 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan is considering lifting a ban on light petroleum products exports, Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev has said.
"We expect that if the two refineries launch production in November, we will see it in December and will initiate the cancellation of this agreement in January. We assume that we will alter the agreement banning light petroleum products exports," Bozumbayev told a Monday briefing in Astana.
Bozumbayev said that currently, the country has an agreement with Russia, according to which Kazakhstan will not export light petroleum products. This is due to the fact that to date, Kazakhstan has imported and exported Russian duty-free gasoline and diesel fuel, according to him.
In his words, this ban will allow domestic refineries to refund modernization costs. "Because this will be our gasoline, our diesel fuel and will be in abundance - an extra 1.5-2 million tonnes for each type of fuel - we will satisfy the domestic market and then we will "open up" some part for export so that the refineries can operate and receive high export returns in order to repay loans taken for costly modernization," the minister said. "The most important market for Kazakhstan is Central Asia and Afghanistan," he added.
It was reported earlier that Kazakhstan had imposed the ban on light petroleum products exports through January 1, 2019.
