+21°C / +9°C WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014 No 13 (56) www.astanatimes.com National museum of Kazakhstan opens With Government presidential Speech, international Visitors Approves General Gasification Scheme By Kulpash Konyrova duced gas – 25 billion cubic me- tres – will be used for re-injection ASTANA – “The Kazakh govern- to maintain the necessary pressure ment has approved a general scheme to extract oil from oil reservoirs, for the gasification of the country. the minister said, which is why pro- This policy document defines eco- duction volumes of usable gas will nomically sound strategic directions reach 21 billion cubic metres per to ensure reliable gas supply to con- year by 2030. sumers,” Minister of Oil and Gas “According to the forecast, in Uzakbai Karabalin said on June 24. 2030, the largest consumers of com- The new plan is intended to in- mercial gas will be industrial en- The National Museum of Kazakhstan crease gas production, consump- terprises and enterprises in the fuel Temporary exhibits of archival pho- tion and transportation, including and energy complex, [at] 31 and 40 tos and felt clothing were also among through building new pipelines, percent, respectively. Many of these the exhibitions on opening day. over the next 15 years. companies are included in the State As for the museum itself, Simp- Over the past 20 years, oil produc- Programme of Accelerated Indus- son said, “It’s very dramatic. It’s tion in Kazakhstan has more than tri- trial and Innovative Development monumental. It’s right in the mid- pled and gas production has grown (SPAIID),” said Karabalin. dle of the city. It’s what a national by more than five times. The domes- The implementation of the gasifi- museum should be.” tic gas supply, however, is paradoxi- cation scheme will lead to increased Director and Curator of the Ameri- cal. Despite impressive gas reserves, consumption of commercial gas in can University Museum at the Katzen unresolved geographical challenges the domestic market, from 11 bil- Arts Centre Jack Rasmussen was also mean Kazakhstan must purchase lion to 18 billion cubic metres, and on hand for the opening, and also gas from its southern neighbours, the number of gasified settlements praised the museum building. “The Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. will almost double, from 988 to architecture is very, very exciting,” One reason is that all of Kazakh- 1,621. All this will be possible due he said. The sheer size of the mu- stan’s gas fields are located in the seum means it has great potential for to the active construction of new country’s west and northwest re- pipelines and the near-doubling of growth, he noted. As for the museum gions; secondly, the sheer size of today, “Everything that’s been done their length, from 28,500 to 57,500 the country and its widely scattered so far has been done right. The tech- kilometres. nology, the touchscreens, everything population centres have made the This year, the first phase of the is beautiful. The ethnographic instal- construction of gas transportation large-scale Beyneu-Bozoi-Shym- lation, in particular, is excellent.” infrastructure a long process. kent gas pipeline project will be There is also a sense of ambi- Today, 10 of 16 regions in the completed. A capacity of 2.5 bil- tion about the project, he noted. country have been gasified, mainly lion cubic metres per year has al- President Nursultan Nazarbayev (r) opening the National Museum of Kazakhstan. “I think that everybody is really the western and southern regions, ready been achieved at the Bozoi- By michelle Witte approaching it as this great oppor- including the largest metropolis, Al- Shymkent section. It is planned to Peace and Accord, the Hazret Sultan Centre. Exhibitions of traditional tunity to take a larger stage and to maty. But the north, centre and east gradually increase the pipeline’s ASTANA – Astana’s new Na- Mosque and the Kazakh National textiles from Central Asia and the participate in the world commu- of the country remain with a steady capacity to 10 billion cubic metres. tional Museum of Kazakhstan was University of Art. “This is the archi- Caucasus, Russian paintings and na- nity of museums. I think there’s a supply of natural gas. Meanwhile, This project will provide gas to the opened by President Nursultan tectural embodiment of the nation’s tional traditions and openness to the lot of ambition, and that’s great.” over the past five years, gas con- southern, import-dependent regions Nazarbayev on July 2, in the midst values,” the President said. world from the two partner museums And, as a visitor who doesn’t sumption in the country has been of Kazakhstan and to more than 500 of two days of events, including a At more than 74,000 square me- were on display as the new National speak Russian or Kazakh, he said, growing steadily and in 2013 was 30 settlements. tres, the museum is already among Museum opened, a decision British symposium and a cultural fair, to he found the museum pretty easy to percent higher than it was in 2007. With implementation of the gen- the world’s largest, and contains Museum’s Senior Curator St. John celebrate the launch of the capital’s navigate, though he said it helped To resolve the problem with eral scheme in Kazakhstan, a total stylistically distinct halls or mini- Simpson called very positive. newest attraction. to have a guide sometimes. gas supply to the population, the of 13 regions will be gasified by In his speech opening the project museums within, including the Hall “I think the fact that they are ex- Rasmussen and Simpson were two government approved the general 2030 and the number of consum- of six years, Nazarbayev noted that of Independent Kazakhstan, the hibiting permanent displays and of a number of museum leaders from scheme for gasification of Kazakh- Ethnographic Hall, the Hall of Gold, temporary displays right from the ers of natural gas will increase to 12 the nation tries to give Astana a around the world, including from mu- stan in late June. the Hall of Modern Art, the Hall of inception, from the opening, shows million people. “present” every year on the city’s seums in China, Russia, Azerbaijan, “The general scheme of gasification birthday, July 6. This year, it is the Astana and others. Touchscreens in a lot of foresight,” Simpson, an in- Bulgaria and Kyrgyzstan, invited to “The necessary investment for defines strategic directions to provide National Museum of Kazakhstan, Kazakh, English and Russian help vited guest at the opening, told The attend the opening and take part in a the implementation of the General he said, “a new masterpiece of con- visitors navigate the museum and Astana Times. “I think that clearly symposium on the role of museums in consumers with gas. The legal basis Gasification Scheme 2030 is 656 temporary architecture.” there are electronic and multimedia shows that there is a plan to carry on the rapprochement of cultures. for the development of this document billion tenge [US$3.57 billion]. In The museum and the newly exhibits along with more traditional introducing change into the galleries, On the evening of July 3, the mu- is the law on gas and gas supply,” said keeping with the legislation, there opened Library of the First Presi- displays in each hall. right from the moment of go, which seum hosted a festival, “Travel on the Karabalin, presenting the document are three sources of funding: the dent complete the capital’s Kazakh On July 3, the fledgling museum is unusual and very good,” he said. Great Silk Road,” with re-imaginings to reporters after the meeting of the state budget, the national operator Eli (Kazakh Land) complex, which signed a memorandum of coopera- Change and evolution will be key to of great Silk Road settlements, an ap- government on June 24. in the name of KazTransGas and comprises the museum and library, tion with the Russian Museum of making the new museum an exciting plied art fair, childrens’ games, arts Gas production will increase by private investments,” said the min- the Palace of Independence, the Ka- Ethnography and the ROSIZO Rus- place for locals to visit, which is im- and crafts classes, national music and 2030 to 60 billion cubic metres per ister. zakh Eli Monument, the Palace of sian State Museum and Exhibition portant for any museum, he said. food and other events. year. Significant volumes of pro- continued on page A4 Petroleum Industry Cluster to be Created By Julia rutz suggestions is the creation of a Na- tional Cluster Council, which would Petroleum industry development in address problems related to the devel- Kazakhstan was discussed during the opment and promotion of supplemen- July 3 Congress of the National Petro- tary legislation concerning oil and gas leum Industry in Aktau. sector development; the creation of Among the items addressed at the high-speed communication between congress was expected government production, service, science and per- support for petroleum and gas produc- sonnel cluster departments; and the or- tion and refining, petroleum and gas ganisation of various forums to solve chemistry, mechanical engineering and problems of further cluster develop- branch services in the Atyrau, Mangis- ment. tau and West Kazakhstan regions. The Among the congress’s participants support is expected to come within the were Akim (Governor) of the Man- framework of the State Programme for gistau region, Alik Aidarbayev, Vice- Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Minister of Oil and Gas of Kazakhstan Development (SPAIID) of Kazakhstan. Magzum Myrzagaliyev, Managing It was also announced during the Director of Oil Assets Management of congress that the Oil and Gas Min- the Samruk Kazyna National Welfare istry of Kazakhstan, the Kazakhstan Fund Malik Salimgereyev, Executive National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Director of Human Capital Assets and the Samruk Kazyna National Development at Kazenergy Togzhan Welfare Fund will become members Kozhaliyeva, Deputy Chairman of the of a National Cluster Council.