Kazakhstan not to burn gas using flares in 2010

Kazakhstan , Astana, Feb. 12 / Trend , K.Konirova/

Using flares to burn gas will stop in Kazakhstan in 2010, Kazakh Environmental Protection Ministry Ecological Regulation and Supervision Committee Chairman Murat Rahimbergenov said in Astana.

"We signed a memorandum with large companies and agreed to stop burning gas with flares in Kazakhstan in 2010," Rahimbergenov said.

The Law on Oil was adopted in 2005 and envisaged immediately banning flares to burn gas.

In response large oil-and-gas companies said they would cease production if the measures were implemented. Governmental officials met with company representatives and prolonged the moratorium.

More than 25 billion cubic meters of gas is burned using flares in Kazakhstan each year.

Rahimbergenov said 43 large companies are responsible for 80 percent of the country's waste.

In 2008, over 6,000 managing entities were fined 18 billion tenge. Some 175 court proceedings were launched and 119 companies were suspended.

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