News Roundup - July 30, 2007

CNN Money: Kazakhstan Threatens To Revise ENI Kashagan Oil Field Deal
Kazakh prime minister Karim Masimov said his government may revise Eni SpA's contract to develop part of the Kashagan oil field in the Caspian Sea after the Italian oil company last week said it would delay the start of production by two years, Interfax reported...
Reuters: Kazakhstan Demands Better Terms Over Kashagan Oil
Kazakhstan told multinationals led by Italy's ENI they would pay the price for being too slow and spending too much to tap its vast Kashagan oilfield, saying it would secure a better deal...
Reuters: TNK-BP Eyes Kazakhstan As Russian Tax Bites
Russia's No.3 oil firm TNK-BP, half owned by BP Plc, wants to gain footholds in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan amid concerns over a heavy Russian tax burden...
Energy Digital: TNK-BP Looks Beyond Russia
TNK-BP, Russia's third largest oil firm, is looking to gain footholds in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to address concerns over a heavy Russian tax burden...
Seeking Alpha: Transmeridian Exploration: Attractive E&P Player From Kazakhstan
Transmeridian Exploration (TMY) is engaged in the business of development and production of oil and gas properties. Its activities are primarily focused on the Caspian Sea region of the former Soviet Union and its principal property, the South Alibek Field, is located in Kazakhstan. It focus on fields they believe have high potential upside with little risk...
Ferghana.ru: Nazarbayev's Former Son-in-law Fears Deportation to Kazakhstan
Rahat Aliyev, Kazakh president's former son-in-law and central figure of the worst political scandal in Kazakhstan in years, appealed to the ambassadors accredited to the OSCE headquarters. With criminal charges awaiting Aliyev in Kazakhstan, he himself is in the capital of Vienna where he was already arrested on Astana's request but released on bail (1 million euros). The Austrian authorities ponder deportation of the recently nearly omnipotent Kazakh official...
Ferghana.ru: Snap Parliamentary Election Will Take Place in Kazakhstan on August 18. Three Political Parties Will Be Vying for Election
Publicity campaign is under way in Kazakhstan. Political parties make the same old promises: to up, support, reinforce, and so on. Needless to say, three political parties are energetic at this point: presidential People's Democratic Party Nur Otan, Ak Jol loyal to the regime, and National Social Democratic Party of the opposition...
Eurasia Insight: Questions Surround Tour De France Doping Scandal
Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador may have cinched the 2007 Tour de France, but for Kazakhstan’s media, the doping scandal surrounding Team Astana captain Alexander Vinokourov continues to linger on. While some have voiced conspiracy theories about alleged moves to rid the race of a strong team in favor of rivals, others see the action as regrettable, but justified...
Reuters: Indicators - July 30, 2007
Kazakhstan's economic indicators based on data provided by the State Statistics Agency, government institutions, the central bank and exchanges...