Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

The Kazakh government has approved the general scheme of the gasification of the country in 2015-2030, Kazakh Oil and Gas Minister Uzakbai Karabalin said.

"By 2030, some 13 regions out of the existing 16 regions will be gasified. The gas consumption will increase from the current 10.9 billion cubic meters to 18 billion cubic meters by 2030," he said.

Today 10 regions of the country-all western and southern regions and the southern metropolis Almaty- are gasified.

The gasification of the country will be financed by three sources - the state budget and the budget of the regions, the funding of the national operator and private investments.

"The funding by the national operator for the implementation of the general scheme of gasification will amount to 162 billion tenge ($ 1 - 183.49 tenge) in a period of time up to 2030," Karabalin said.

Energy-rich Caspian littoral state Kazakhstan, which is expected to produce 41 billion cubic meters of gas in 2014, plans to develop its gas industry.

The country, which ranks 20th for gas reserves in the world, will develop a plan for the development of gas industry by late 2014.