KazMunayGas says losses from emergency shutdown at Atyrau refinery could run to $14.8 mln

ASTANA. July 18 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company estimates losses from the emergency shutdown of the Atyrau Oil Refinery at 6.6 billion tenge or $14.8 million at the current rate, KazMunayGas Deputy CEO Dmitry Makeyev said.

"The loss estimates for the Atyrau plant are about 6.6 billion tenge so far. We will have to catch up and meet our production target. A commission continues to assess the impact," Makeyev told a Tuesday briefing on Tuesday.

The Atyrau refinery suspended operations on the night of July 3 due to a power outage incident at the Mangistau Atomic Energy Complex, which generates and supplies thermal and power energy to the industrial facilities and population in the region.

The Atyrau refinery's general director Murat Dosmuratov said earlier that it was not the first downtime due to a power outage - there were several shutdowns in 2021 and last year. The power cuts in 2021 caused estimated damage of 69 billion tenge, and 2 billion tenge during last year.

The reason for the emergency shutdowns, he said, was an unreliable power supply system in the region.

On July 13, the Kazakh government said it would take a number of urgent and systemic measures to prevent future emergencies like the recent accidents at the Mangistau Atomic Energy Complex or MAEK and Atyrau refinery. They include upgrading equipment at MAEK LLP, reinforcing the western energy zone, ensuring a stable external power supply to the Atyrau refinery and building its own power source there, connecting the western zone with the Unified Power System of Kazakhstan.