Azerbaijan, Baku, October 14/Trend, E.Kosolapova/
Currently Kazakhstan is making preparations for the tender on subsoil use rights for minerals except hydrocarbon fields of the Caspian and Aral seas, Kazakhstan's Oil and Gas Ministry told Trend.
"The ministry has prepared a draft decree on the basis of the applicants' requests for a list of subsoil areas put up for tender and submitted to the interested state bodies for endorsement, " the ministry said.
After the decree is agreed and approved there will be announced a tender bid on the subsoil use rights for exploration.
The ministry said the exploration and processing of offshore fields will be carried out by KazMunaiGas JSC by attracting a strategic partner on the basis of a memorandum of understanding.
A moratorium on the issuing of a licence for subsoil use has been in force since 2008 in Kazakhstan. The moratorium was due to the development of new tax legislation.
In November 2012, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said the moratorium on the issuing of a licence for subsoil use can be lifted in order to attract investments to the regions. In January 2013 the moratorium for holding a tender on subsoil use rights for minerals except hydrocarbon fields of the Caspian and Aral seas was lifted.