Russia will increase aviation fuel supplies to Kazakhstan, Kazinform refers to the press service of the Ministry for Investment and Development.

“Currently, demand of the Kazakh civil aviation sector in jet fuel is not provided in full by domestic refineries. Aviation fuel deficit is covered mainly by imports from the Russian Federation. According to the Ministry of Energy, Kazakhstanand Russiasigned an indicative balance for 2017 in the amount of 300,000 metric tons. In addition, at present, as a result of further negotiations, Russia confirmed its position to increase delivery capacities of jet fuel in 2017 up to 450,000 metric tons”, one said in a statement.

The press service also clarified the distribution of jet fuel between airlines. Earlier, Air Astana and QAZAQ AIR stated that “the practice of distribution of jet fuel produced by domestic refineries undermines the energy security of Kazakhstan”.

Air Astana is given 120,373 metric tons of jet fuel for 2017. Of these, 94,000 metric tons should be provided by Petrosan LLP and 26,000 metric tons – by other resource holders. The volume of jet fuel produced by Petrosan LLP is 188,000 metric tons. The remaining amount of jet fuel produced by the Petrosan LLP and 10 other resource holders (53,000 metric tons) has been assigned for other airlines and airports”, the Ministry for Investment and Development stated in its press release.

In order to provide jet fuel of domestic production to participants of the civil aviation sector, since 2008, the Ministry for Investment and Development of Kazakhstan together with the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan have been approving annually schedule to consolidate Kazakh airports and airlines and the major resource holders of oil and oil products.

The Energy Ministry granted 11 resource holders with the amount of jet fuel production by domestic refineries for 2017 in the amount of 241,000 metric including the Atyrau Refinery – 22,000 metric tons and Shymkent Refinery – 219,000 metric tons.

In accordance with the submitted jet fuel production capacities, the distribution plan by schedule is made in the following percentages:

For air companies: Air Astana – 49.9%; SCAT Airlines – 15.8%; Qazaqh Air - 2.1%; Bek Air – 3.4%. Total for air companies: 71.2%. For airports: Almaty – 14.5; Astana – 8.3; Other airports(14) – 6%. Total for airports: 28.8%.

The granted volume of aviation kerosene was distributed, taking into account the volume of resource holders, distribution experience of jet fuel for airlines and airports in Kazakhstanin previous years, the actual consumption of fuel by the civil aviation entities in 2016 and taking into account the fact of conducting EXPO-2017 in Astana in 2017.

According to the request of the civil aviation participants, demand for jet fuel amounted to 801,000 metric tons in 2017. The Civil Aviation Committee under the Kazakhstan’s Ministry for Investment and Development conducted its analysis of the volume of actually filled jet fuel by airlines and airports in the airports of Kazakhstan for 2016. As a result, in 2016, the actual consumption of jet fuel in airports of Kazakhstanamounted to about 500,000 metric tons.

On average, the applications were satisfied by 30% of the announced volume, except for Astana International Airporton the occasion of the EXPO-2017.

Overall, one projects growth of air passenger traffic by not more than 5% in Kazakhstan for 2017, as compared to 2016. As a result of meetings held with the Ministry of Energy, one made a decision to implement monitoring whether the distribution plan is implemented by both resource holders and by the participants of the civil aviation sector.