Kazakhstan plans to produce about 1.3m barrels (160,000 tons) of oil a day in 2005

Kazakhstan plans to produce about 1.3m barrels (160,000 tons) of oil a day in 2005, and the corresponding figure for 2015 will be about 3.5m barrels a day, Kazakhstani Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Vladimir Shkolnik declared at the opening of the KIOGE-2004 international exhibition in Almaty. According to Shkolnik, it is planned to build new oil refineries to increase the volume of oil refining. The 12th international oil and gas exhibition KIOGE-2004 opened in Almaty today. Over 400 companies from 30 countries are participating in the exhibition. The UK, Germany, Iran, Italy, Canada, China, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Romania, Ukraine and, for the first time, Norway have opened their national showrooms at the exhibition.