Thank you for receiving
us today. Before we start with "Azimut energy
services", I'd like to get an overview of the
economy in Kazakhstan and, of course, your personal
point of view of the energy sector and the future
of the energy sector in Kazakhstan?
I'd like to tell you again: in fact, we gave
you our complete answer on this question, but
I can give you some keys. Probably, you are aware
that our energetic sector plays a very important
role in economy of Kazakhstan. First of all depends
upon mining, oil and gas industries. This is an
advantage and disadvantage of the economy of Kazakhstan
at the same time. As you know from history, the
unilateral development is not the best one. Therefore,
you could see that in a recent period the trials
to develop processing industry, including agriculture,
were taken. We, as a service company see our future
in development of energy sector. Our activity
is connected with providing services to oil companies,
to mining companies, producing solid minerals.
Definitely, we connect our future with development
of energy sector and oil and gas exploration.
First of all, exploration of oil and gas, ore
minerals on shore and on the Caspian Sea sector
offshore.
Considering company's experience and capability,
we are going to extent our activities abroad,
outside of Kazakhstan. For example, the first
crew has been moved to Azerbaijan already and
this is a first case when we started to work abroad.
Actually, this is first step in a history of not
only our company, but also in a geophysical history
of Kazakhstan. Secondly, we are going to extent
our activity in South Africa, including Libya,
Algeria and Egypt. It is obvious, that Kazakhstani
market is limited in anyway, and that's why we
have to look for any other markets. So, these
are the two major directions of our company's
activity: exploration of Caspian region and provision
of our services to foreign markets.
Before we get more information about all these
services in details, could you, please, give us
a brief historical background of the "Azimut
energy services"? I know, it was established
in a year 2000. Could you, please, give us more
information about it?
The company was established on a basis of several
former geophysical companies that existed in Soviet
times: such famous as Iliyskoye, Turlanskoye,
Aktubinskoye geophysical expeditions. Considering
experience and background of the companies, I've
listed; they have been operating in Kazakhstan
for over 50 years, in the whole. The process of
transferring our company to private sector took
several years and began since the moment Kazakhstan
got its independence. And finally, on the basis
of these companies "Geotex" company
was established, which in a year 2000 merged with
"Azimut" company.
It was a geophysical company operating in Karaganda.
That's why the company was named "Azimut
energy services". Actually, we have been
operating under this name not for a long time.
But I'd like to remind you that company itself
has been operating for over 50 years. The major
part of our staff is those workers who worked
for these companies before. We have kept all the
traditions, historical materials since the company
started its activity. Recently we bought a lot
of advanced equipment; as a result the services
we provide are of high quality. Now our company
is a member of Geophysical Contractors Association,
it means that the quality of our activities meets
the highest standards. Probably, you know already
that among our clients were very large companies
such as Chevron, Texaco and many others. We have
positive references from them about our work.
I can say for sure that in the last years our
company provides 2/3 of geophysical services on
Kazakhstani energy market. Actually, our company
is the largest in Kazakhstan, but we work in a
very competitive sector. There is a state-owned
company "Kazakhstan Caspishelf", which
is our main competitor. There are many other small
geophysical companies and one more big private
energy company, competing with us.
As you already mentioned, "Azimut energy
services" is one of the biggest in a sector
of geological and geophysical services. Could
you tell bit more about the services you offer
to your consumers?
The major type of our services is seismic surveying
2D and 3D. That includes data obtaining from field
surveys, data processing and its interpretation.
Besides, we offer some more additional services,
conduct non-seismic surveys, including magnetic
one, hydro geological survey of underground waters.
It includes the whole range of services provided,
starting with exploration, exploitation up to
establishing of oil well. We have good engineers
(surveyors) and topographical team, also we conduct
ecological surveys, provide transportation services
to drilling and construction companies. Our major
activity, I'll repeat again, is seismic survey
and data acquisition. We have very good and modern
equipment that we use in our work process. Thanks
to this equipment and to knowledge of our staff
we provide our services at the highest level.
Could you, please, tell us in details about
"Azimut energy services" concerning
ecological issues, matters involved?
First of all, during the operations, conducted by
our company, we usually take all the required measures
to minimize any damages to environment. Secondly,
we provide our services to exploration and exploitation
companies on data acquisition, estimation of environment
in the area of existing and producing fields. We
can arrange evaluation of the contamination level
in certain areas. Besides, we may give our recommendations
on how to improve the situation. There is a law
our government has implemented according to the
requirements of which any company before starting
the exploration and exploitation processes has to
prepare a special document "Estimation of influence
on environment during the current activity".
There is explained how they are going to follow
the requirements in respect of the room of environment
sector. And I'll say again that during the operations
our crew conduct we take all the required measures
up to the situation where it would be impossible
to find even a plastic packet after we leave. The
estate inspectors check usually after our operations
the area and they assign the special written reports
certifying that the environment is safety. |
We know that now
"Azimut" company is involved in developing
of a new virtual computing technology. Could you
give us a piece of information on it, I mean in
details?
You understand, of course, that the geophysical
operations are impossible without the advanced
technology we use. First of all, the field data
acquisition, initial processing, transfer of the
required information to our client and processing
center. Certainly, you understand that processing
of seismic data requires very powerful capacities.
Our company has the most powerful processing center
in Central Asian region. It is equipped with supercomputers
origin 2000. You can see the list of our equipment
technologies that we use during our operations.
It is easy to see that no client will co-operate
with, may be even talk to us if we do not apply
such developed equipment technologies.
Let's get more involved with precise figures
as you now our readers are mostly businessmen,
and they would like to know this kind of things.
People tend to get some more information about
financial figures.
I can tell you about the one basic figure that
in a year 2001 our revenue was $34 mln. for conducting
seismic 2D and 3D operations. This figure represents
2/3 of all the geophysical operations conducted
in Kazakhstan. Since we have 6 seismic operating
crews equipped at the highest level with all the
necessary tools, we may simultaneously be involved
in 6 projects. We have more than 50 drilling tools
for conducting geophysical operations, 3 groups
of vibratos. We have all the equipment required
for conducting surveys in any region with any
climate and landscape conditions.
I'd like to ask you about "Azimut" energy
services produced in all countries. I know that
you have representative business office in Tripoli,
also in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul.
You have some more differences between these representative
offices concerning the policy of your main activity
offered to the oil companies.
As I mentioned already regardless of the rich
resources of Kazakhstan, the market of Kazakhstan
is limited. Therefore, we have to look for some
other markets. I overstated already that as an
example may serve our first operation in Azerbaijan.
Besides, our company was registered in Libya.
We have already opened representation there and
in Egypt. Now we are working to register in Egypt,
we hope to accomplish it very soon. The same work
we are doing in Algeria. These are the three countries,
which markets we are trying to enter most intensively.
Certainly, there are some problems with their
legislation, you know quite well there are some
customs exist, they also have competition there.
In Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan we have no problems
with the quality of services our company provides
to them. So far we haven't gotten any projects
there. Since these countries are "close",
this fact plays a definite role. Among the economical
reasons is the fact that the local currency is
poor convertible. But recently they started improving
the situation. We believe we will try to improve
to the some extent our activity in Uzbekistan
because we have been working there for a long
time. As for the rest of countries we have listed,
we have some plans on respect of them. But it
depends on the definite conditions by which the
tender will be announced, etc.
What are the future plans, I mean the vision
of "Azimut energy services" applying
to developing CIS countries, Asian countries?
As I said already, our plans are to participate
actively in operation sector of Kazakhstan, first
of all in the Caspian Sea area. The second direction
of our work is North Africa, including Algeria,
Libya, Chad and the neighboring countries, depending
on the situation there. We will cover the neighboring
countries by our activities: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan
and others.
Besides, we are studying the opportunities in
other Central Asia countries, it will depend on
the tender acquisitions there. Of course we'd
like to operate there. So I see the future of
our company in this way.
Give us an information about yourself, your
background.
I'm an engineer, I've worked in West Kazakhstan
for a long time. I was among the people who discovered
Tengizfield. I worked there from the very beginning
of operations. I was the first director of producing
enterprise there. Then I had become the president
of the national company "KazakhstanNeftegas",
then it was renamed as "KazakhstanMunaigas".
On the basis of these two companies "Kazakhoil"
company was established. I worked in the Ministry
of energy at that time as a Deputy of Minister.
Then I was a chairman of Committee on Investments
to economy of Kazakhstan. Its main activity was
to attract loans of World Bank, Asian Development
Bank, European Bank of Development and Reconstruction,
Islamic Development Bank under state-guaranteed
objects. For example, a bridge in Semipalatinsk,
airport in Astana. I was directly involved into
these projects. I was a deputy chairman of the
Committee on investment attraction. We were dealing
with contracts on oil exploration and exploitation,
arrangement of tenders, signing the contracts.
After the recent two years I was a deputy of Minister
of energy. I am here for 2 months. As soon as
I have left my state position, I was invited by
"Azimut energy services".
Give us an overview, the final message to
readers, keeping in mind what you have told us
about energy development and "Azimut energy
services".
As I said, we, as a private company operating
in competitive environment of Kazakhstan, provide
our services to many foreign oil exploring companies
working in this country.
Therefore, we hope that many more companies will
come to Kazakhstan. We would be happy to meet these
companies in our exploration and energy sectors.
Because we are ready at any time to provide our
services at the highest standards. |
