OREANDA-NEWS. January 24, 2014. U. Karabalin reported to the President on the results of the Ministry's activities in 2013, the plans for current period and the strategic objectives of the industry arising from the President's Address to the Nation.

Nursultan Nazarbayev noted the importance of attracting investments and strengthening works on the innovative development of industry, and also Head of State stressed the need to create industrial clusters around large oil and gas fields and facilities.

During the meeting, the Minister presented the Atlas of prospective oil and gas basins of Kazakhstan developed by a group of research organizations headed by the Kazakh Institute of Oil and Gas to the Head of State. Atlas gives an opportunity to consider further work in regional geological prospecting.

Moreover, the Minister reported on balance of the work on integrated study of 15 sedimentary basins of Kazakhstan as well as on prospects of domestic geological exploration and creation of oilfield cluster in the country.

By the end of 2013, crude oil production in the country was 81.8 million tons, that is 103.2% with respect to 2012. Gas production in the country totaled 42.3 billion cubic meters last year,

and oil refining was 14.3 million tons. It is planned to produce 83 million tons of oil and 41 billion cubic meters of gas, to process 14.7 million tons of oil in 2014.

Following the meeting, the Head of State has assigned a number of specific missions on the issues discussed.