Starting from July 2017, AFK started collecting forecasts on a monthly basis from the expert community on the well-known and repeated indicators.

It is about forecasts for the rate of the US dollar to the tenge and the Russian rouble (USDKZT, USDRUB), the rouble against the tenge (RUBKZT), the cost of...

Developments and trends in Kazakhstan's energy and infrastructure were the main topics of discussion at a networking event organised by the British-Kazakhstan Society and the Fieldfisher LLP international law firm in London.

Campbell Keir, Deputy Director for Energy and Infrastructure at the UK Department for International Trade, gave a keynote speech...

In 2018, 38,250 Kazakhstani families were provided with housing, while every fourth loan was issued within the framework of the State Housing Program Nurly Zher. This was announced today at a press conference in the Government by the Chairman of the JSC Housing Construction Savings Bank of Kazakhstan Lyazzat Ibragimova.

“For...

Vice Minister of Social Development Zhuldyz Omarbekova underlines the program’s special significance. 

On 16 January the Nur Otan party’s central office presented the new approaches towards implementation of the Rukhani Zhangyru program at the event held by the Ministry of Social Development, a press office of the Ministry of Social Development informs.

“Historical...

A private helicopter has crashed on January 17 in the territory of Alatau health center in Almaty. The Emergency Situations Committee of the Kazakh Interior Ministry confirmed the information. 

Eurocopter 130 belonging to Sky Service Air Company crashed today at 04:05 p.m. in the open territory of Alatau health center. The...

Oil production at the Kashagan oil and gas field will completely stop for 45 days. This was announced by the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC).

In accordance with regulatory requirements, in 2019 NCOC plans to overhaul the Bolashak onshore complex and the offshore complex D of the Kashagan field on the...

Following the results of 2018, the Russian ports on the Baltic lost to foreign ports in terms of freight turnover growth rates. According to experts, foreign competitors are actively investing in the development of port infrastructure and attracting new customers, while Russian market players are more engaged in property redistribution....

FSU oil production in 2018 is estimated to have grown by 0.24 mb/d to average 14.29 mb/d, revised up by 8 tb/d from the previous forecast. Oil production in Russia and Kazakhstan has increased by 0.17 mb/d and 0.08 mb/d to average 11.35 mb/d and 1.81 mb/d, respectively. Azeri oil...

Caspian Sunrise PLC on Thursday said it is making progress in returning deep well A5 at its BNG contract area in Kazakhstan to an operational level.

Deep well A5 was drilled in 2013 to 4,432 metres but was blocked with drilling fluid and debris. Following this, a side-track was drilled and...

Urals crude differentials in northwest Europe and the Mediterranean held firm on Thursday as trade focus shifted to February barrels, while delays in Turkish straits, healthy demand from end-buyers and the absence of Iranian crude provided support.

Russia’s Surgtut was slow to call spot tenders to sell Baltic Urals in February...

Oil prices fell by 2 percent on Thursday after U.S. crude production neared an unprecedented 12 million barrels per day (bpd) and concern grew over weakening demand, particularly in light of the trade dispute between the United States and China.

Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 were down $1.08 at $60.24 a...

The Turkish Stream and Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline projects are being implemented according to plan, Alexander Medvedev, Gazprom's deputy chairman said.

Alexander Medvedev told European Gas Conference officials in an interview prior to the event, which will run from January 28 until January 30 in Vienna, that at the...

British wholesale gas prices rose on Thursday morning as previously forecasted colder temperatures set in, lifting gas demand for heating.

The day-ahead gas price was 1.50 pence higher at 60.75 pence per therm at 0837 GMT, while gas for immediate delivery was up by 1.75 pence at 60.00 p/therm.

Gas for delivery...

Following the results of 2018, the Kommesk Omir insurance company collected premiums in the amount of 10.1 billion tenge, which is 1.5 times more than in 2017.

"The increase in insurance premiums in 2018 was due to an increase in the company's own sales portfolio for compulsory insurance of civil liability...

The court decision on the forced liquidation of Eximbank Kazakhstan has entered into legal force.

"On Wednesday, January 16, 2019, the Almaty City Court dismissed Kazakhtelecom’s complaint against the decision of the Specialised Inter-district Economic Court of Almaty dated November 28, 2018 on the forced liquidation of Eximbank Kazakhstan. Thus, the...

In 2019, the state premium on deposit from Zhilstroysberbank for the first time will exceed 100 000 tenge. Kazpravda.kz correspondent quotes Lazzat Ibrahimova, chairwoman of the board of Zhilstroysberbank of Kazakhstan JSC, as saying at the press conference at the RK Government. “Every year, the state premium in the Construction...

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has provided a $40 million loan to Kazakhstan’s Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund, said fund Deputy Chairperson Daulet Abilkairov at the Central Communications Services Dec. 11 press conference. The loan will be given to businesses corresponding to the requirements of Islamic finances.

“These funds will be used...

White & Case LLP has advised Citigroup, Société Générale and BCC Invest on the update of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s US$10 billion global medium term note programme and issuance thereunder of €525 million 1.55 percent Notes due 2023 and €525 million 2.375 percent Notes due 2028.

The dual-tranche issuance is the...

Based on results of trades on the spot-market:

- weighted average US dollar rate with settlements T+1 in tenge (USDKZT_TOМ) made KZT377.10 per US dollar at the trades volume of USD59,900 th.;

- on US dollar with settlements Т+0 in tenge no deals were made; at the session close quotes in the...

The U.S. dollar ticked up on January 17 after stronger than expected economic data reports, while the pound stabilized as British policymakers sought consensus on how to exit the European Union.

The number of Americans filing applications for jobless benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to sustained labor market strength that...

Shubarkol Komir sold 6.3 million tonnes of coal abroad in 2018.

“In 2018, Shubarkol Komir sold over 11.1 million tonnes of coal. Of these, the domestic market accounted for about 4.8 million tonnes, the countries of near and far abroad accounted for about 6.3 million tonnes,” the message stated. The company...

Production growth occurred in almost all industries, and the industrial production index compared with 2017 reached 4.1%. However, it could be more. According to the results of 10 months, it amounted to 4.7%, but the accident at ArcelorMittal Temirtau and the sharp decline in ferrous metallurgy indicators that followed it...

Palladium surged past $1,400 for the first time on Thursday, driven by a deficit in the auto-catalyst metal and robust demand, while gold held firm on concerns surrounding a U.S. government logjam and Brexit.

Spot palladium had jumped 5 percent to $1,427 per ounce as of 1151 GMT, having hit an...

Aluminium fell on January 17 after a vote by U.S. lawmakers cleared the way for sanctions to be lifted on major producer Rusal, potentially increasing supply.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected legislation to keep sanctions on companies linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, including aluminium firm Rusal.

In December, the U.S....

The technology of assembling Mi-8AMT/Mi-171 heavy helicopters is being introduced in Kazakhstan for the first time. The contract for the organisation of a large-scale assembly was signed by Kazakhstan Engineering, Aircraft Repair Plant No. 405, and Russian Helicopters by the Rostec State Corporation.

The project was launched without attracting budget investments....

The Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development summed up the results of housing construction in the republic and shared their plans for the future.

“In 2017, 11 million square metres of housing were commissioned, and we added another million square meters. In 2018, 12.5 million square metres were handed over, 113,740...

The activity of the subsidiary organisation of the Rakhat confectionary factory, Rakhat Trading House, was terminated. On January 10, 2019, the Justice Department of the Turksib district of the Almaty Justice Department registered the cessation of the activities of a subsidiary organisation of Rakhat with 100% participation, Rakhat Trading House....

The production of agricultural products in the Karaganda region in 2018 increased by 8% to 272 billion tenge. Labour productivity by 2017 increased by 13.2%. There are successes in plant growing and animal husbandry.

The agrarians of the region collected more than 1 million tonnes of grain, which is 25.3% more...

Chicago soybean futures rose for a second session on Thursday as adverse weather in South America supported prices, while wheat and corn also gained.

The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade was up 0.4 percent at $8.98 a bushel by 1156 GMT. In the previous session, prices had...

Cargo turnover in Kazakhstan in January-December 2018 made 596,066bn tonne-kilometers that is 7.3% more compared to 2017.

According to the Statistics Committee of the National Economy Ministry, rail freight turnover grew by 8% in the reporting period. The volume of freight turnover made 4,103bn tonnes (+4.8% compared to 2017). Passenger turnover...

A contract for the semi-knocked-down assembly of the Mil Mi-8AMT/Mi-171 helicopters in the Republic of Kazakhstan has been signed today in Astana.

The document was signed by Kazakhstan Engineering NC of the Ministry of the Defense and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aircraft Repair Plant No. 405 JSC and...

In Kazakhstan, the demand for electric cars will increase in the future, there should be no obstacles for this. This was announced by the president of the automobile business association of the republic, Andrei Lavrentiev.

“I must admit, not everybody support electric cars at the moment. At one time, we could...

China's rail freight volume, an indicator of broad economic activity, rose 9.1 percent year on year in 2018, according to the China Railway Corporation.

Railways carried 4.02 billion tonnes of freight last year, 334 million tonnes more than the previous year, data from the company showed.

Of the total, state-operated railways carried...

China's central bank injected liquidity into the money market through reverse repos Thursday.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) conducted 250 billion yuan (37 billion U.S. dollars) of seven-day reverse repos at an interest rate of 2.55 percent and 150 billion yuan of 28-day reverse repos at 2.85 percent.

Previous reverse repos...

Russia and China enjoy a "very confident progressive development of relations in all areas," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.

The two countries reached a record trade turnover in 2018 but this is not a limit, as Russia and China have ambitious plans discussed by President Vladimir Putin and President...

Tatneft has entered into a tripartite cooperation agreement in the area of crude oil treatment process flow automation (UPVSN) units. CJSC Sterh-Intelservis and the Chinese HollySys Company have been the Tatneft Company’s partners in the deal. 

The cooperation of Tatneft and HollySys has been developing with the participation of CJSC Sterkh-Intelservis,...

Despite years of Western sanctions, Russia will become the world’s fifth-largest economy as early as next year, surpassing Germany and the UK, multinational bank Standard Chartered said in its long-term growth forecasts.

In a report outlining projections about the world economy up until 2030, the bank said that China is likely...

Rosneft’s Yuganskneftegaz, formerly owned by the now-defunct Yukos oil company, set a new record in 2018, producing 70.2 mln tonnes of liquid hydrocarbons, a 5.6% growth year-on-year.

Rosneft, like other Russian companies, needed to fulfill its commitments under the OPEC+ output reduction deal. However, the company decided against cutting production at...

Specialists from RN-UfaNIPIneft, a facility of Rosneft’s corporate Research and Development Complex, have completed their work on creation of the first industrial model of RN-SIGMA corporate software solution designed for geomechanics modelling when drilling.

The software allows company’s engineers expanding their application of geomechanics for borehole stability calculation and reducing the...

PAO NOVATEK reported today preliminary operating data for the twelve months ended 31 December 2018. In 2018, NOVATEK’s hydrocarbon production totaled 548.4 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), including 68.81 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas and 11,800 thousand tons of liquids (gas condensate and crude oil), resulting in an...

Mongolia's industrial output in 2018 increased by 21 percent from the previous year, amounting to 15.7 trillion Mongolian Tugriks (about 5.9 billion U.S. dollars), Xinhua reported citing official data.

Output of the main products of mining and extractive industries was up by 19.6 percent, making it a key driver of the...

Turkey will receive two third of the products of SOCAR carbamide plant, which was put into operation on January 16 in the territory of Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park, according to the plant’s director Khayal Jafarov.

“SOCAR carbamide plant is the only large enterprise in the region and two third of its...

Date: January 18, 2019; Source: Bloomberg.com

Energy

Precious and Industrial Metals

Agriculture

Date: January 18, 2018; Source: the National Bank of Kazakhstan