OREANDA-NEWS. October 1, 2012. Kazakhstan’s hydrocarbon sector has benefitted from heavy investment since the country became independent in 1991.

Abundant natural resources and a favourable business climate has attracted many of the world’s major multinationals who have established operations in the country alongside a growing number of domestic operators.

For many of these companies, one event has been instrumental in introducing them to the market and has consistently produced a wealth of opportunities that result in strong professional relationships and business growth. The Kazakhstan International Oil & Gas Event (KIOGE) is celebrating its 20th edition in Almaty, from 2nd to 5th October 2012. The event, which comprises a large-scale trade exhibition and conference, remains the focal point for discussing the technical, operational and commercial development of Kazakhstan’s oil and gas industry. KIOGE is also the major part of a week-long programme of trade events aimed at the oil and gas sector, being held in the same week as its partner event, the Astana-based KAZENERGY Eurasian Forum.

KIOGE 2012 will bring together 547 exhibiting companies from countries such as: Azerbaijan, Belgium, UK, Hungary, Germany, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Canada, China, Latvia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, the UAE, Poland, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, the USA, Turkey and France.

Three quarters of exhibitors displaying their products and services this year are returning to KIOGE to continue building the relationships with new and existing clients. The other 25% of exhibitors are new to the event, many of whom will be seeking to take advantages of the significant commercial opportunities available in the Kazakh oil and gas sector.

Amongst the exhibitors are major companies such as KazMunayGas, Tengizchevroil, China National Petroleum Corporation and Rosneft. Newcomers include MOL Hungarian Oil & Gas plc and Maersk Oil Kazakhstan GmbH. In addition, there are national stands from six countries: Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Russia and the USA.

The KIOGE conference will take place on 4 and 5 October at the Intercontinental Almaty hotel. The main theme in 2012 is ‘Kazakhstan’s Oil and Gas Industry: New Perspectives of Growth’. In total, the conference will welcome more than 30 speakers and it will be opened by an array of high-profile and influential government and industry professionals from Kazakhstan and around the world.

In addition to the high quality networking opportunities, delegates will benefit from listening to many engaging conference sessions on a range of technical, operational and commercial subjects. One such session will feature an interesting presentation by Michiel Postema, Professor at Norway’s Bergen University, entitled ‘Using Ultrasound to Separate Oil, Gas and Water’.

The 7th KAZENERGY Eurasian Forum opens the Kazakhstan Oil & Gas Week on 2 October. It takes place over two days in Astana’s Independence Palace. During the Forum, heads of government bodies, major energy corporations and authoritative industry experts, will exchange opinions and experience regarding strategic issues affecting the region in a global context. The theme of this year’s Forum is ‘A World in Transition - Shaping a Sustainable Energy Future.’

“KAZENERGY and KIOGE act as two platforms for dialogue between Government and business, each one with its rightful place among the world’s largest exhibition events,” said Yuri Borodikhin, Executive Director of Iteca. “On the occasion of KIOGE’s 20th anniversary, we are looking to expand the event’s business programme and continue to provide participants with valuable networking opportunities.”

The events are supported at the highest levels, including Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Oil & Gas, KazMunayGas, the KAZENERGY Association, the Almaty Mayoral Administration and diplomatic missions from exhibiting countries. The event organiser is the Kazakh company Iteca, which is part of the international ITE Group, supported by its partners in the UK, Russia, Germany, Turkey, China, Poland, Azerbaijan and the UAE.