This year Kazakhstan plans to import a little bit over 1 million ton of petrol, Kazakhstan Minister of Oil and Gas Uzakbay Karabalin said yesterday.

He said that this year local petrol production will total 2,885,000 tons and its consumption will total 4,168,000 tons. “The consumption will exceed the current volume of production like last year. Situation is the same with diesel fuel – its consumption will total 4,946,000 tons, while production – 4,194,000 tons and we will have to import 600,000-650,000 tons. We import fuel mainly from Russia,” Kazakhstan Minister added.

He assured that “we will hold the prices in quarter 1, 2014.” “Our plants will work at full force and they will manufacture the volume of oil products, which will be fully at the local markets. It is banned to import the products outside of Kazakhstan,” Novosti-Kazakhstan news agency quoted Karabalin as saying.

ANN.Az