Northern Kazakhstan Faces Gas Shortages

For the second week in a row, car owners in northern Kazakhstan have been struggling to find liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at gas stations, Orda.kz reports.

Some stations have completely run out, while others are selling fuel only through a coupon system.

The shortage has become an annual issue in the North Kazakhstan region, frustrating residents who rely on gas for their vehicles.

I work in delivery. Buying gas isn’t profitable for me. It’s cheaper to drive on gas. I want to make money, but I have to spend it. Well, what can I do? I can’t quit my job,
 said Petropavlovsk resident Anatoly Silantyev.

According to the Department of Energy and Housing and Utilities, the coupon system is a temporary measure. 

Officials claim that in five southern districts of the region, no shortage has been recorded.

We have about eight gas supply companies. These are in the southern districts of the region. Gas is readily available there,
 explained Kuandyk Shakubayev, Deputy Head of the Department.

The main reasons are repairs at the Atyrau Oil Refinery. We haven’t been allocated the additional 2,500 tons we requested. Secondly, the harvesting campaign is underway. Additional consumers include grain elevators, which last year received around 1,000 tons of gas, but this year there was no allocation,
Shakubayev added. 

The heating season has also increased demand. Authorities say the region has 1,000 tons in reserve, with another 300 tons in transit.

Gas supplies to North Kazakhstan come from the Atyrau, Aqtobe, and Pavlodar refineries. There are 19 gas suppliers operating 122 stations in the region, where LPG costs 112 tenge per liter.

Officials note that household gas supplies remain unaffected, available at 177 tenge per liter.

Two weeks earlier, residents of the Mangystau region faced similar shortages, prompting an emergency meeting of the regional akimat. The cause, once again, was maintenance work at the Atyrau refinery.

Original Author: Kristina Yusicheva