KMG, CITIC to start construction to expand Aktau bitumen plantJSC National Company KazMunayGas (KMG) and the Chinese CITIC Group agreed to begin construction work at the end of 2024 to increase the capacity of the Aktau bitumen plant (JV CASPI BITUM LLP) from 500,000 to 750,000 tonnes of bitumen per year, the company's press service reported.The agreement was reached during a meeting between KMG Chairman of the Board Magzum Mirzagaliyev and Chairman of the Board and CEO of CITIC Resources Holdings Limited Hao Weibao in Beijing.“Currently, the project is at the design stage. At the meeting, an agreement was reached to begin the construction phase before the end of this year with completion of construction at the beginning of 2025,” the press release following the meeting said.The project was previously planned to be completed at the end of 2024.The press service also reports that last week KMG signed an agreement with the national highway management operator KazAvtoZhol JSC to supply the domestic market with road bitumen.The question of increasing the capacity of Caspi Bitum was raised back in September 2022. It was noted then that increasing the plant’s capacity by 50% would increase bitumen production to 750,000 tonnesper year. It was also reported that a preliminary feasibility study had already been developed, and the project was on design phase.The Aktau bitumen plant is managed by the Kazakh-Chinese company JV Caspi Bitum LLP, which was established by KazMunayGas and CITIC Kazakhstan LLP on a parity basis. The plant was put into operation in 2013 in the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan. The raw materials for the enterprise come from the oil fields of Karazhanbasmunai JSC. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX