Kazakhstan

[energy_isere]

Kazatomprom confirms 2024 production plans as acid woes continue

01 February 2024

The Kazakh national atomic company said it expects to see a "modest" growth in 2024 production despite adjustments to its previously announced production plans related to the availability of sulphuric acid and construction delays at newly developed deposits.


Image: Kazatomprom

Kazatomprom's 2023 production was 21,112 tU on a 100% basis (11,169 tU attributable), which the company said was slightly lower than 2022 production "primarily due to an insignificant decrease in the production plan for 2023, compared to 2022". 2024 uranium production volumes are expected to be 21,000-22,500 tU on a 100% basis (10,900-11,900 tU attributable), it said in its quarterly operations and trading update. For the majority of its mining operations, it expects that production volumes will be about 20% below the amount stipulated in subsoil use agreements.

The company had previously - in August 2022 - said it planned to increase its 2024 uranium production to a 90% level relative to its subsoil use agreements, which would have been the highest production against subsoil agreements since the company's 2017 decision to flex down production in response to supply and demand considerations. But in January this year, Kazatomprom said it expected to adjust the volume because of the challenges it is now facing.

Sulphuric acid is a key reagent in Kazatomprom's in-situ leach operations, but around 60% of the world's supply of the commodity is used for fertiliser production. Growing demand from the agricultural sector and a combination of factors such as supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty have led to domestic and regional shortages over the past few years. Current demand affects both availability and pricing, with a 33.6% increase in Kazatomprom's weighted average cost of sulphuric acid during 2023.

Kazatomprom said it is "actively engaged in discussions with sulphuric acid manufacturers in the neighbouring countries to augment the supply volumes for 2024" and is "actively pursuing" alternative sources for procurement. "Looking ahead in the medium term, the deficit is expected to alleviate as a result of the potential increase in sulphuric acid supply from local non-ferrous metals mining and smelting operations. The Company also intends to enhance its in-house sulphuric acid production capacity by constructing a new plant," it added.

In 2023, Kazatomprom founded a new partnership enterprise - Taiqonyr Qyshqyl Zauyty LLP (TQZ) - to implement the construction of a new 800,000-tonnes per year sulphuric acid plant. TQZ is now owned by Kazatomprom subsidiaries Kazatomprom-SaUran (75%) and RU-6 (25%). Italian firm Ballestra is to assume responsibility for the project's design, equipment procurement, and provision of technical support following the signature of a strategic partnership in January.

When combined with existing in-house production capacities of the SKZ-U and SSAP partnerships, in which it is a partner, Kazatomprom said it envisions a consolidated sulphuric acid production volume of around 1.5 million tonnes.

Market strategy

Kazatomprom said it remains committed to its "market-centric strategy", creating long-term value for its shareholders and remains committed to its 2024 contractual obligations to all existing clients, using some of its inventory to do this.

"The company has a comfortable level of inventories to fulfil its existing contractual commitments in 2024 and will persist in ensuring the availability of essential inventory levels, thereby ensuring its capability to fulfil delivery commitments while optimising resource utilisation," Kazatomprom said. "Additionally, we usually reserve a segment of our annual production as uncommitted. This approach enables us to capitalise on emerging opportunities and adapt to fluctuations in the market landscape. This strategic approach enables the Company to mitigate risks effectively and uphold our contractual obligations to clients, even amidst production-related challenges."

Production plans for 2025 could be "unfavourably" influenced if access to sulphuric acid continues to be limited through 2024 and delays in construction at Kazatomprom's newly developed deposits are not reduced, the company said, and previously announced plans to return to a 100% production level relative to subsoil use agreements in 2025 "may be at risk".

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Arti ... ns-as-acid

je ne comprends pas ce jargon de tU basis et attributable

[energy_isere]

je ne comprends pas ce jargon de tU basis et attributable

j' ai posé la question à Copilot dans Windows10

réponse :

Tonne Basis (tonne brute) : Cela fait référence à la masse totale d’uranium extraite et traitée, y compris les impuretés et les matières non utilisables. C’est la quantité d’uranium extraite avant tout traitement ou enrichissement.

Tonne Attributable (tonne récupérable) : Cela représente la masse d’uranium récupérable, c’est-à-dire la quantité d’uranium qui peut être utilisée comme combustible nucléaire après traitement et enrichissement. Elle exclut les impuretés et les matières non utilisables.

[energy_isere]

Chevron Oil Project in Kazakhstan to Cost $48.5B

by Bloomberg|Nariman Gizitdinov | Friday, March 15, 2024

A major development led by Chevron Corp. to boost oil output at Kazakhstan’s Tengiz field will cost about $48.5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The US oil giant said at its third-quarter earnings in October that the budget for Tengiz, previously set at $45.2 billion, was rising by about 4 percent due to a slower than expected startup. There will be a further $1.5 billion of spending on the project, the people said, asking not to be named because the information isn’t public.

Chevron said in a statement on Thursday that its guidance for the total project cost of the Tengiz expansion “remains unchanged from the ranges we provided in our most recent earnings calls,” which was for an increase of 3 percent to 5 percent.

In addition to the project’s target cost of $45.2 billion, the company said in July 2021 that there was a contingency of $1.9 billion to recognize schedule uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The expansion of the Tengizchevroil venture, known as the Future Growth Project, has delayed its full startup into the second quarter of next year. The project has gone well beyond its initial budget of $37 billion and the completion date had already been rescheduled twice from the original plan of mid-2022.

Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tengizchevroil is 50 percent owned by Chevron, while Exxon Mobil Corp. and state-owned KazMunayGas have a 25 percent and 20 percent stake in the venture, respectively.

https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/chevr ... 1-article/

[energy_isere]

Chevron Kazakhstan Oil JV Start New Tengiz Production

By Charles Kennedy - Apr 25, 2024

Chevron launched its first production at its Tengiz oilfield expansion project in Kazakhstan on Thursday, with completion of the final phase of the expansion set for the first half of next year, enabling an additional 260,000 barrels per day of crude oil output, or an additional 12 million tons per year.
“This is a significant step towards completion of the Future Growth Project (FGP). It is also important progress for the modernization of the existing base business at Tengiz and demonstrates TCO’s commitment to safely and reliably manage operations, while maximizing the ultimate recovery of resources critical to global energy security,” Clay Neff, President of Chevron International Exploration and Production, said in a press release on Wednesday. Exxon Mobil and Kazakh state-owned KazMunayGas hold 25% and 20% stakes in the Tengiz joint venture, respectively. Chevron’s expansion progress announcement comes as Kazakhstan is under pressure to compensate for overproduction in the first quarter of this year in terms of its quota responsibilities for OPEC+.

Kazakhstan has reportedly prepared a “detailed plan for the gradual compensation of overproduction”, the Kazakh Astana Times reported, citing the country’s Energy Ministry.

“We understand the importance of each country’s conformity to the obligations and maintaining cooperation to stabilize the oil market,” the Energy Ministry was quoted as saying in a statement.

In early March, the Kazakh Energy Ministry said the country would extend voluntary production cuts of 82,000 bpd into Q2 2024, and that by the end of June this year, production would be at around 1.468 million bpd. The 82,000-bpd commitment is on top of the country’s earlier voluntary commitment to cuts of 78,000 bpd.

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News ... ction.html

[energy_isere]

Pour une bouchée de pain, les États-Unis achètent au Kazakhstan 81 vieux avions de combat soviétiques

Article de Thomas Burgel 29 avril 2024

Moins de 20 000 dollars pièce : c'est ce qu'on payé les États-Unis au Kazakhstan pour 81 vieux avions de combat datant de l'ère soviétique. Mais pour quel usage ? Mystère, ou pas.


C'est une curieuse information qu'a rapportée le Kyiv Post, repris par Business Insider : les États-Unis auraient acquis auprès du Kazakhstan un lot de 81 vieux avions de combat datant de l'ère soviétique, lors d'une vente aux enchères s'étant déroulée en octobre 2024.

Le grand pays d'Asie centrale, ancien proche allié de la Russie et membre avec elle de l'Organisation du traité de sécurité collective, mais avec laquelle elle a pris ses distances depuis le déclenchement de l'invasion à grande échelle de l'Ukraine par Vladimir Poutine, ainsi que l'a expliqué Politico, est en cours de rénovation de son armée de l'air.

Un bombardier pour 17 000 euros

Elle avait donc quelques vieilles carcasses à vendre : il est question au total de 117 appareils datant des années 1970 ou 1980, dont des chasseurs MiG-29, des intercepteurs MiG-31, fameux pour leur grande vitesse, des avions d'attaque au sol MiG-27 ou des bombardiers Su-24.

Comme le précise le Kyiv Post, les 117 engins concernés par cette vente étaient déclarés inaptes au service, et ont été vendus pour une somme totale de 1 milliard de tenges, la monnaie kazakhe, soit un peu plus de 2 millions d'euros seulement.

Une aubaine, donc, plus valable que la meilleure des affaires jamais réalisée sur Leboncoin : chaque carcasse a été acquise par son acheteur pour la somme relativement modique de 17 000 euros environ.
Les États-Unis, un acheteur surprenant et discret
Son acheteur ? C'est là que les choses deviennent les plus intéressantes : selon le Kyiv Post, ou le site russe en langue anglaise Reporter, ce sont les États-Unis qui auraient tiré le plus gros lot en se portant acquéreurs de 81 des avions vendus.

Mais Washington ne l'a pas fait directement, au vu et au su de tous. C'est, toujours selon le Kyiv Post et Reporter, via d'obscures sociétés offshore que l'Amérique aurait jeté son dévolu sur cet étonnant lot de vieilles carnes soviétiques.

Pourquoi donc les États-Unis souhaiteraient se payer des appareils dont ils n'ont, bien entendu, que faire ? Le Kyiv Post avance plusieurs hypothèses. Certains des appareils, notamment le Su-24, sont encore en service dans l'aviation ukrainienne : bien que hors d'usage, les aéronefs kazakhs pourraient avoir été achetés pour fournir à Kiev une nouvelle et précieuse source de pièces détachées.

Avec un petit coup de peinture, rendus difficiles à différencier d'un appareil encore en service, les avions pourraient également être disséminés sur les aérodromes du pays, afin de tromper d'éventuels drones ou missiles russes cherchant leurs cibles – l'Ukraine, on le sait, est passée maître dans l'art des leurres et maquettes.

De quoi, sans doute, un peu plus crisper les relations entre le Kazakhstan, de plus en plus tourné vers l'Occident, et une Russie qui on le sait n'apprécie qu'assez peu le rapprochement avec l'ouest de ses anciens satellites.

https://www.msn.com/fr-fr/actualite/mon ... ba5f&ei=82

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 3 février 2024 http://www.oleocene.org/phpBB3/viewtopi ... 9#p2384739

Kazatomprom issues quarterly update

03 May 2024

The Kazakh national atomic company's first quarter uranium production saw a slight year-on-year increase but its guidance metrics remain unchanged. Kazatomprom's first quarter trading announcement also included an update on plans for a new sulphuric acid plant.

Production for the quarter was 5077 tU (100% basis), up from 4744 tU for the same period in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 7%. The company reiterated that its production guidance for 2024 of 21,000-22,500 tU (100% basis) remains unchanged but noted that "sanctions pressure due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and limited access to some key materials are not known" and "as a result, annual production volumes may differ from internal expectations".

The company said it does not anticipate any effect on Kazatomprom from an act prohibiting the import of Russian enriched uranium products into the USA which was passed by the US Senate this week and is now to be signed into law, since its primary business is the production of natural uranium. "Whether shipped by Kazatomprom or its JV partners, Kazakh-origin uranium retains its origin until its arrival at a conversion facility," the company noted.

It reiterated that the recent severe floods in western and northern regions of Kazakhstan had not affected its uranium mining, processing and transportation activities to date and all Kazatomprom enterprises continue to operate without any disruptions. It said it "continues to monitor the situation around the floods in Kazakhstan, and contributes to restoring vital infrastructure and supporting affected communities".

In 2023, Kazatomprom set up a partnership enterprise, Taiqonyr Qyshqyl Zauyty LLP (TQZ) to implement a project to build a new sulphuric acid plant, but said it now expects the completion of the construction and the start of production at the TQZ plant to be postponed from 2026 to 2027 due to "restructuring procedures and delays in the timing of approval of project design documentation". TQZ is partnering with Italian firm Ballestra which will be responsible for the project's design, equipment procurement and technical support.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Arti ... rly-update

[energy_isere]

Kazatomprom gets go-ahead for Inkai 3 pilot

13 June 2024

The national atomic company has signed a new subsoil use agreement with Kazakhstan's Minister of Energy and received approval for up to four years of pilot production of a total of 701 tU from the Inkai 3 deposit.


(Image: Kazatomprom)

Inkai is a key uranium deposit, located in the Suzak district of Turkestan region. The Inkai 3 deposit contains uranium resources of 83,100 tU, Kazatomprom said.

"This licence is important to our sustainable development strategy. Launch of pilot production at Inkai 3 will contribute to social and economic development of the Turkestan region," Kazatomprom CEO Meirzhan Yussupov said. "Replenishment of the mineral resource base will further bolster our position as a uranium industry leader and help us to meet the rising demand for clean energy."

Kazatomprom said it expects to transfer the Inkai 3 subsoil use contract to its 100%-owned Kazatomprom-SaUran LLP subsidiary, which mines uranium from the Kanzhugan, South Moyynkum, Central Moyynkum, Uvanas and Mynkuduk deposits in the Turkestan region. Last year, it completed a major investment project to modernise its 1600 tonne per year uranium refinery in Turkestan.

The company announced its plans to start production from the new deposit in June last year, when it said it was negotiating subsoil rights based on project documents with a validity of 25 years, including the pilot production phase. At that time, it said planned to construct operating assets with an annual capacity of 4,000 tU.

All uranium production in Kazakshtan is by the in-situ leach method. JV Inkai LLP, a partnership of Canadian company Cameco (40%) and Kazatomprom (60%), produces uranium from the Inkai 1 deposit.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Arti ... ai-3-pilot

[energy_isere]

Kazakhstan : un référendum prévu à l'automne sur la première centrale nucléaire d'Asie centrale

AFP le 27 juin 2024

Le Kazakhstan, plus gros producteur mondial d'uranium, a annoncé jeudi la tenue d'un rare référendum cet automne sur la construction de la première centrale nucléaire d'Asie centrale, région où l'Ouzbékistan et le Kirghizstan ont des projets similaires.

40% de la production mondiale d'uranium

"Le développement économique est impossible sans un approvisionnement énergétique stable, c'est pourquoi j'ai demandé d'étudier la question de la construction d'une centrale nucléaire. Le référendum aura lieu cet automne", a déclaré le président Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev à l'occasion de la "journée des journalistes".

M. Tokaïev, qui a précisé que la date exacte serait décidée ultérieurement, avait déjà annoncé en septembre dernier un référendum d'ici fin 2023 au Kazakhstan, qui fournit plus de 40% de l'uranium mondial et l'exporte notamment vers la France.

Malgré leurs immenses ressources naturelles, convoitées par les grandes puissances sur fond de contestation de l'influence traditionnelle de la Russie, les ex-républiques soviétiques d'Asie centrale n'arrivent pas à subvenir à leurs besoins énergétiques croissants.

4 pays en course pour la production (dont la France)

En cas d'adoption du référendum, probable dans un pays où M. Tokaïev avait élu à plus de 81% lors de la présidentielle de 2022, quatre pays sont en course pour construire le réacteur : la France, avec EDF, mais aussi la Chine, la Russie et la Corée du Sud.

En Ouzbékistan voisin, le président russe Vladimir Poutine et son homologue ouzbek Chavkat Mirzioïev ont réitéré fin mai leur volonté de construire des centrales nucléaires de faible puissance de technologie russe (avec l'entreprise Rosatom) en plus d'une centrale nucléaire classique.

Des discussions semblables pour construire des mini-réacteurs nucléaires avec la Russie sont en cours au Kirghizstan, qui a levé mi-juin l'interdiction d'exploitation de l'uranium dans l'espoir de relancer une économie fragilisée.

Mais en Asie centrale, la question du nucléaire reste sensible en raison du lourd passé d'extraction d'uranium sous l'Union soviétique, avec des sites toujours pollués malgré des opérations de décontamination.

https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org ... ale-240627

[energy_isere]

Chevron, QazaqGas Tie Up for Gas Exploration in Western Kazakhstan

by Jov Onsat|Rigzone Staff | Thursday, July 04, 2024

JSC NC QazaqGaz and Chevron Munaigas Inc. have signed a cooperation agreement for natural gas exploration in the Aktobe region in western Kazakhstan.

The Chevron Corp. subsidiary will in the initial phase reprocess seismic data for the target area, which is near the already proven Urikhtau and Zhanazhol fields, Kazakhstan’s national gas company said in a statement.

“The respective parties view the signed agreement as a potential starting point for more extensive collaboration”, QazaqGaz said.

The exploration campaign is also supported by Samruk-Kazyna JSC and the Central Asian country’s Energy Ministry, according to the statement.

QazaqGas chair Sanzhar Zharkeshov said in the statement, “Further geological exploration and development of a potential gas condensate or oil and gas condensate field at the Zhalibek site is expected to enhance the commercial gas resource base and drive economic growth in the country”.

Zharkeshov added the agreement for gas exploration with the United States oil and gas giant signals an increasing attractiveness of Kazakhstan to international gas players.

“Our strategic partnership with Kazakhstan has spanned more than three decades, and this agreement creates new opportunities for potentially advancing Kazakhstan's energy sector”, Chevron managing director for Eurasia Derek Magness commented. “Chevron recognizes the importance of gas development and related potential opportunities within Kazakhstan's gas industry".

In 2022 Chevron Munaigas and QazaqGaz inked a memorandum of understanding for collaboration in hydrocarbon exploration and production, gas processing and energy transition.


Last year Kazakhstan produced 30.8 billion cubic meters (1.1 trillion cubic feet) of gas, while its gas consumption stood at 21.4 Bcm (755.7 Bcf), according to the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy.

Chevron is the first multinational to enter Kazakhstan, in 1993, according to the San Ramon, California-based integrated energy company.

Currently it holds a 50 percent stake in the Tengizchevroil joint venture, which develops the Tengiz field and the nearby Korolev field. Chevron estimates 25.5 billion barrels of oil in place in Tengiz and 1.6 billion barrels in Korolev. Chevron pegs recoverable oil from the two at 7.1 billion to 10.9 billion barrels. Tengizchevroil contributed 358,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day to Chevron’s net production last year, according to the company’s supplemental report to its annual report for 2023.

Chevron also owns an 18 percent interest in the Karachaganak gas condensate field.

Downstream, Chevron holds a 15 percent stake in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which operates a 1,505-kilometer (935.2 miles) conduit that carries petroleum from Tengiz and Karachaganak for export overseas, Chevron says on its website.

Chevron also owns the Atyrau Polyethylene Pipe Plant.

https://www.rigzone.com/news/chevron_qa ... 9-article/

[energy_isere]

Eni Starts Building 250 MW RE-Gas Plant in Kazakhstan

by Jov Onsat|Rigzone Staff | Friday, July 19, 2024

Eni SPA and local partner NC KazMunayGas JSC (KMG) have started constructing a 250-megawatt renewable energy-gas power plant in Zhanaozen, Kazakhstan.

The project is “Kazakhstan’s first hybrid power plant integrating solar, wind, and gas power to produce and supply low-carbon, stable electricity to KMG subsidiaries in the [Mangystau] region”, the Italian energy major said in a statement.

“The project pioneers the hybrid combination of state-of-the-art renewable power plants, developed in collaboration with Eni’s subsidiary Plenitude, and a gas power plant to balance and to stabilize the electricity production, overall leveraging Eni’s international industrial expertise”, Eni said.
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https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/eni_s ... 7-article/

[energy_isere]

Kazatomprom raises uranium production guidance for 2024
The increased uranium production will be used to replenish Kazatomprom’s inventories.

Claire Jenns August 2, 2024

Kazakhstan’s national uranium producer, Kazatomprom, has updated its production guidance for 2024 from 21,000–22,500 tonnes (t) of uranium to 22,500–23,500t (11,600–12,600tU on an attributable basis).

Production rose by 5% in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023, Kazatomprom said in a trading update.

The company stated that this growth has resulted from the resumption of 2023 drilling works.

It said the increased uranium produced “will be used for replenishing the company’s inventories”.

Kazatomprom was also able to secure necessary volumes of sulphuric acid required for its 2024 production at a minus 20% level relative to its subsoil use agreements.

However, limited access to sulphuric acid and delays in the construction schedule at newly developed deposits could unfavourably influence Kazatomprom’s production plans for 2025. In September 2023, these were forecast to be between 30,500t and 31,500t. Updated 2025 uranium production projections are scheduled to be announced later this month.

The updated volumes strengthen Kazatomprom’s position as the world’s largest producer of uranium as it undergoes operational and fiscal changes.

On 20 July, the company’s shareholder structure shifted as Samruk-Kazyna sold a 12% equity stake to the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

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https://www.mining-technology.com/news/ ... 4/?cf-view

[energy_isere]

Le Kazakhstan rejoint le programme spatial lunaire Chinois :

Did Kazakhstan Just Shift the Balance of Power in the Space Race?

By RFE/RL staff - Aug 15, 2024,

- Kazakhstan has joined the Chinese-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project, expanding China's influence in space exploration.

- The partnership includes collaboration on lunar exploration, spaceport utilization, and a lunar telescope project.

- Kazakhstan's decision aligns with China's growing space ambitions and its desire to diversify its space partnerships beyond Russia.

A new agreement for Kazakhstan to join Chinese-led plans to build and operate a research base on the moon could set the stage for deepening cooperation between the two countries as Beijing makes strides toward becoming a leading power in space.
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en détails : https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-Gene ... -Race.html

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 28 juin 2024 http://www.oleocene.org/phpBB3/viewtopi ... 4#p2393744

le referendum dans un mois.

Kazakhstan sets date for nuclear referendum

Tracey Honney September 5, 2024

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev has signed a decree naming 6 October as the date for a national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant. The referendum will ask: “Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?”

He announced the date at a joint meeting of the Kazakhstan Chambers of Parliament, where he delivered a “message to the people” entitled Fair Kazakhstan: law and order, economic growth, public optimism. The message, which covered a wide range of topics, included a section on energy.

“Today, the world’s energy shortage is growing. Our country needs reliable and environmentally friendly energy sources. Therefore, I think we should pay special attention to the development of nuclear energy,” Tokayev said. Because our economy needs more and more energy. Such demand can be provided by nuclear energy. Currently, there are about 200 nuclear power plants in 30 developed and developing countries.”

He added: “We need to move forward, taking into account the specifics of our country and our long-term national interests. In short, we need to think about the future. Therefore, I believe it is necessary to make the most serious decision regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant. I believe that strategic plans should be widely discussed in society.”

He stressed that every important step “must be taken together with the public” and “the same should be true of the referendum on a nuclear power plant”. He noted that it has been a year since the topic of the referendum was discussed in public. “I think this is enough time for our citizens to think comprehensively and make serious decisions.”

In his address to the nation in 2023, he noted: “The development of nuclear energy has become an important economic and political issue. As you know, there are different opinions about whether it is necessary to build a nuclear power plant.” He said: “Kazakhstan is the largest uranium mining country in the world. So, we have the right to build a nuclear plant on our land. Some experts argue that small nuclear stations should be built. However, many citizens and a number of experts are skeptical about the safety of a nuclear station.”

He added: “Considering how much suffering the Semipalatinsk test site caused to our people, one can understand their suspicions. Therefore, we must continue public hearings, detailed, large-scale discussions on this issue. We need to make a final decision on important strategic issues by referendum. This was my promise to the people before the elections in 2019. The question of whether or not to build a nuclear power plant is a very important question for the future of our country. Therefore, I believe that it should be resolved by a national referendum. We will determine the exact deadline later.” The Semipalatinsk Test Site (also known as Semipalatinsk-21 or The Polygon) was the primary location for resting the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons.
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https://www.neimagazine.com/news/kazakh ... m/?cf-view

[energy_isere]

Projet d'unité pétrochimique au Kazakshtan à 2.3 milliards d 'euros.

A joint venture formed by Sinopec and Técnicas Reunidas, awarded a large petrochemical unit in Kazakhstan

europetrole 19/09/2024

A joint venture formed by Sinopec and Técnicas Reunidas, awarded a large petrochemical unit in Kazakhstan
- This contract is included within the framework of the strategic alliance subscribed last September by Sinopec and Técnicas Reunidas.
- The total investment is estimated in around 2.3 billion euros, corresponding 50% to each partner of the joint venture.
- The unit will be installed in the petrochemical complex that a consortium led by the public company KazMunayGas is developing in the province of Atirau, and will receive financial support from Sinopec for its execution.
- The unit, a steam cracker, which is the main process unit of every petrochemical complex, will use gas from Kazakhstan fields to produce petrochemicals.

A consortium led by KazMunayGas, Kazakhstan’s state-owned oil and gas company, has awarded the development of a steam cracker to a joint venture formed by the Chinese group Sinopec and the Spanish company Técnicas ReunidasTécnicas Reunidas. The Sinopec group will provide financial support for its execution.

The award of this contract is included within the framework of the strategic agreement subscribed by Sinopec and Técnicas Reunidas last September. The first result of that agreement was the award of two large gas fractionation facilities in Riyas (Saudi Arabia) last January.

The investment required for the development of the unit will amount to around 2.3 billion euros, of which 50% will correspond to each of the joint venture partners.

According to present estimation, the works will last until the end of 2028. The US company Lummus Technologies, which recently announced its participation in the project (https://www.lummustechnology.com/news/r ... lene-plant), has been selected by Sinopec and Técnicas Reunidas as the technology licensor.

The unit, a steam cracker, which is the heart of any petrochemical complex, will be installed in the one that the consortium led by KazMunayGas is developing in the province of Atirau, in the western part of the country, on the Caspian Sea coast.

The unit will use the gas from Kazakhstan’s fields to generate petrochemicals. It will contribute to the production of some 1,300 kilotonnes per year (kta) of ethylene.

https://www.euro-petrole.com/a-joint-ve ... -n-i-27490

[energy_isere]

Au Kazakhstan, un village décrépit attend l'atome

AFP •03/10/2024

Dans l'immense steppe du Kazakhstan, en bordure d'un village à moitié abandonné, quelques chiens surveillent le terrain vague où doit être construite la première centrale nucléaire de ce pays d'Asie centrale riche en uranium mais déficitaire en électricité.

"Ca fait tant d'années que j'attends le début du chantier, j'en rêve", dit à l'AFP Sergueï Tretiakov, habitant d'Ulken, dans le sud de cette ex-république soviétique cinq fois plus grande que la France.

Pour que son rêve se réalise, une majorité de Kazakhs doit voter "pour" lors d'un référendum dimanche, convoqué par le président Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev qui assure vouloir "prendre les décisions importantes avec le soutien du peuple".

Car la question de l'atome est sensible dans ce pays dont la mémoire collective reste marquée par les quelque 450 essais nucléaires soviétiques menés dans le nord-est entre 1949 à 1989, exposant 1,5 millions de personnes aux radiations.

Dans les faits, le scrutin de dimanche dans cet Etat autoritaire vise à donner un vernis de légitimité démocratique à un choix déjà entériné, la campagne ayant été à sens unique en faveur du oui. Reste à savoir qui construira le réacteur: la Russie, la Chine, la France ou la Corée du Sud.
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