Kazakhstan makes bid to host World Petroleum Congress in 2017

    By D. Mukhtarov
    The Kazakh National Committee has made a bid this year to host the 22^nd World Petroleum Congress in Astana in 2017, the KazEnergy Association Executive Director Ramazan Zhampiisov said.
    "The Kazakh National Committee has made a bid this year to host the 22^nd World Petroleum Congress in Astana in 2017," Zhampiisov said at a regular meeting.
    He stressed the U.S. city of Houston is Astana's rival on this issue. It held the 12th World Petroleum Congress in spring of 1987.
    "Voting will take place in the Canadian city of Calgary in October to choose one of two candidates," he said. "The voting will be secret."
    He said that Kazakhstan has a good chance of winning.
    "First, the World Petroleum Congress has never been held in the Central Asian region," he said. "Second, Kazakhstan has experience in this kind of large-scale events."
    KazEnergy Association Chairman Timur Kulibayev added the 22^nd World Petroleum Congress will be held in October, just after the International Exhibition EXPO-2017 in Astana.
    "All exhibition centers in Astana, built for EXPO-2017, will be ready and tested during the exhibition," Kulibayev said. "So, we have all opportunities to hold the World Petroleum Congress in Astana."
    Zhampiisov also recalled the global oil community will celebrate the 80th anniversary in July 2013 since the first World Petroleum Congress. Over the years, the congresses were held 20 times in different countries and on different continents.
    The 20th Congress was held in Doha (Qatar) in December 2011.
    The World Petroleum Congress is held every three years. Moscow won its bid to hold the 21^st World Petroleum Congress to be held in 2014, Trend said.