XVII Session of CIS Inter-Governmental Council on Subsoil Exploration, Use and Protection

Minsk hosted XVII session of CIS Council on Subsoil Exploration, Use and Protection on 13-15th November, 2013.

Kazakhstan is represented by the delegation comprising of the Committee on Geology and Subsoil Use, KazGeology JSC and other geological and petroleum subsoil-use companies’ employees. The delegation is headed by Bazarbay. K.Nurbayev, the chairman of the Committee on Geology and Subsoil Use. The delegations’ chiefs and representatives will report the Session on the results achieved by geological organizations of CIS member-states in 2012 -2013 in implementation of XVI Session of Intergovernmental Council decisions and on the course of implementation of CIS member states’ Strategic Plan of joint operations within the Intergovernmental Council.

Scientific and technical cooperation of CIS member states in subsoil geological exploration and development is a key factor in the relations of the newly independent states in the territory of Ex- Soviet Union that contributes to mutual understanding strengthening and development of these countries’ production forces.

The Intergovernmental Council on Subsoil Exploration, Use and Protection (hereinafter to be referred to as the Council), established to develop cooperation in the area of subsoil surveying, exploration, use and protection within Commonwealth of Independent States assists to practical implementation of the policy aimed to create and ensure efficient activities of CIS member-states. The Council key objective is to achieve the goals and resolve the tasks set in the Agreement on Cooperation in the Area of Mineral and Raw Materials Resources Surveying, Exploration and Use and the ones set in the Mining Charter of CIS members states through mutually-agreed efforts taken by the member-states of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Area of Mineral and Raw Materials Resources Surveying, Exploration and Use.

Kazakhstan is a coordinator of joint efforts in hydro-geodynamic monitoring of earthquake precursors as a method of short to medium term earthquake forecasts. The data of observations within hydro-geodynamic monitoring of earthquakes precursors were collected analyzed and generalized in the course of the project. The system of hydro-geodynamic monitoring was established within international project implementation.
It is proposed that the plan for 2014–2016 should include the joint project of KazGeology NC JSC and State Agency on Geology and Mineral Resources within the Government of Kyrgyz Republic related to establishment of a legend of North Tien Shan series of lists of State Geological Maps -200 of second generation considering the latest stratigraphic, magmatism and tectonic data of the region. This effort is a continuation of joint geological surveying (GDP-200) in the border territories of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz mountains range) performed in 2003–2004. Maximum efficiency of this effort can be achieved only if they are taken jointly with the Agency on Geology of Kyrgyz Republic that allows future edition of geological maps in 1: 200 000 scale of a new series outside the state borders but within the frameworks of nomenclative lists.

The Republic of Kazakhstan is also a coordinator of International Eurasia Project developed nowadays which is aimed at the surveying of deeper structures in Caspian region and identification of new hydrocarbons deposits occurring at bigger depths, providing for stratigraphic and parametric well drilling to the depths of 14–15 km.

International consortium of major petroleum companies is planned to be established for the project implementation. The Operations are mainly planned both in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian Federation. The Committee on Geology and Subsoil Use as a state competent authority in the area of subsoil surveying and use will play its role in the organization of appropriate operations with the Consortium.

During the first stage of the Project the Committee on Geology and Subsoil Use has to resolve the issue of any available geological and geophysical information transfer to the Consortium.

Within potential cooperation with Russian Federation based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the RoK Committee on Geology and Subsoil Use and Federal Agency on Subsoil Use of the RF, the collaboration in geological surveying of subsoil has to include approval of trilateral Technical Project of Integrated Geological and Geophysical Surveying in the territories of the two states which outcomes in geological and geophysical information processing and interpretation.

Participation in the sessions of Intergovernmental Council is rather important for its participants in terms of exchanges with the news in the sector, technologies and work method exchanges, joint organizing of meetings, conferences, joint participation in international events like International Geological Congresses, etc. Joint production projects are also implemented within the Council frameworks. Intergovernmental Council is taking efforts to train future geologists in CIS area in the form of annual knowledge competitions as «Young Geologist». Kazakhstan becomes more and more active in such a movement. So, Asset Yessekeshev, Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Industry and New Technologies supported the arrangements of the III Kazakhstan’s Competition of Young Geologists in 2014 at Almaty. The teams from CIS member- states will be invited to participate in the event.

Committee of Geology and Subsoil use of the Ministry of Industry and New Technology of the Republic of Kazakhstan