KazMunaiGas E&P says Strike Impact limited

    By Olzhas Auyezov
    KazMunaiGas Exploration and Production said Tuesday that the impact fr om a strike at one of its units was limited and the company sought to resolve the dispute soon.
    KazMunaiGas E&P said last week it was losing up to 1 percent of daily output due to a strike at its Ozen oil field wh ere workers staged a protest against a new pay structure which reduced bonus payments while raising regular wages.
    "During the March 4 - March 8 period between 1,500 and 3,000 workers skipped their shifts, most of them employed at well services and transport," the company said in a statement, adding that production losses were 200 to 400 tons a day.
    "The management KazMunaiGas E&P continues attempts to establish... dialogue with the workers on strike and counts on local authorities to help maintain law and order in the town of Zhanaozen," it added, referring to a town near Ozen.
    Kazakh state energy firm KazMunaiGas owns a majority stake in London-listed KazMunaiGas E&P.
    Kazakhstan plans to produce 80 million tons of oil this year, most of which is due to be exported through pipelines crossing Russia, Reuters reports.