§ 18. River and sea, air, pipeline transport

Water transport. In our country river and sea transport ­ does not carry out such functions, as in Russia and in the Ukraine: the large rivers of republic proceed on territory suburbs, other rivers of Kazakhstan have no transport value as are shallow and unsuitable for navigation.

Exit in Black and Baltic exhausting and further in countries of Western Europe it is possible on the Russian rivers and channels.

Extent of suitable waterways for use is equal in Kazakhstan to 6 thousand in km, from them 4 thousand in km are used for river transport. The leading place in river transport of republic ­ occupies the river Ertis (extent - 1700 km), connecting areas of the East and Northern Kazakhstan. To the cargoes transported by mainly river transport concern mineral and building materials, oil and oil products, salt, grain, coal, ore, etc. River transport includes some ports: Pavlodar­, Atyrau, Ural, Ust Kamenogorsk, etc.

By request of Kazakhstan in port Vyborg (Russia) bulk-oil ­ tankers in capacity 10 and 20 thousand t which now are ­ in port Aktau have been made­­. Port Aktau will be expanded in northern direction­.

Now in port Bautino of Mangistau area the company 'Tengiz - service "with a view of building of artificial island uses a local mooring for loading of building materials. In the long term port Kuryk is necessary for considering in quality it is export the focused terminal providing participation of Kazakhstan ­ in transportation of oil on the route of Baku-Tbilisi-Dzhejhan.

The largest seaport of Kazakhstan is Aktau. Annually through this port 1,5 million t dry and 8 million t liquid cargoes are transported. Through Aktau port transportation of transit cargoes from Russia to China, South East Asia, Iran is carried out.

On the river Ural Mountains are carried out communication between the cities of Ural and Atyrau. The agricultural raw materials and the foodstuffs are forwarded basically. For navigation some sites on the rivers Syrdariya and Ishim are used.

On the river Ile before building of Kapshagai HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION river transport ­ was used for the purpose of maintenance of nearby settlements with the industrial goods and the foodstuffs. Now the bottom current of the river Ile has local transport value. The Kapshagai water basin is used for the organisation of rest of the population ­ and in the sports purposes.

The water transport will be of great importance in the long term. Works on seaport Aktau expansion, development of an infrastructure of ports Bautino and Kuryk, ­ port Atyrau reconstruction will be realised­. By 2015 the quantity of the state river ­ technical fleet will be finished to 200 units. The attention will be paid to building of the large-capacity tanker, creation of sea ­ merchant marine fleet and its development. In basins of Ertis and Volga the enterprises for shipbuilding and ship repair will be reconstructed­, and in port Kuryk of Mangistaus area building ­ of new ship-repair factory will be finished­. The attention will be paid to the professional training ­ of river transport.

In the long term the total amount of cargo transportation across the Caspian Sea will be finished ­ to 70 million t, including 50 million t oil and 20 million t the dry-cargo ship. Thus the volume of petrotransportations through the Kazakhstan ports by 2015 will annually make 38 million t, on the dry-cargo ship - 20 million t.

In the conditions of growth of economy and increase in transport transportations the ­ great value will have development of all sectors of transport­.

In the decision of the modern problems put before the country, the ­ transport strategy accepted by the government ­ till 2015 has great value.­­

Air transport. Air transport is the most expensive ­ type of transport operatively delivering to a long distance ­ cargoes and passengers.

Despite high cost of rendered services, air ­ transport it is widely used in agriculture, fishery ­(the help to courts in search of fish, during a storm), medicine ­(rendering of the first help), geological-prospecting works, in installation of petrochisel technics and etc.

Among aviation cargoes prevail urgent (perishable food­, mail, newspaper matrixes and etc.).

In airlines of Kazakhstan constant communication lines with the foreign states are generated: the CIS countries, Poland, Germany, Israel, Thailand, Korea, etc. For the purpose of expansion ­ of the international relations through republic territory laid the international transit air-lines.

Now in the country 51 airports, 21 of which - republican value operates. The airports of Astana, Almaty, Aktau, Aktobe, Atyrau, Karaganda, Kostanai, Petropavl­, Taraz, Ural, Ust Kamenogorsk, Shymkent and Pavlodar ­ accept planes of various airlines of the world.

In Kazakhstan there are 19 foreign airlines, 9 from which provide a cargo transportation in the countries distant abroad.

Pipeline transport. There are two kinds of pipeline ­ transport – oil pipeline and gas pipeline. It is possible to lay pipes in any direction and on any district­. Extent of pipeline transport in comparison with railway is shorter, and the cost price is much lower. On pipelines ­ 60 % of oil are transported.

Oil and gas pipelines connect oil and gas deposits in territory of the country with the processing enterprises of republic­, and also Russia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan. Along oil pipelines ­ settle down pump, and along gas pipelines - compressor ­ stations. The first constructed in territory of Kazakhstan ­ oil pipeline Dossor - Rakusha has length of 60 km. In 1936 the first has been stretched in the country 720-kilometre the oil pipeline highway between Atyrau and oil refining factory ­ in Orsk (the Ural economic region of Russia). For transportation ­ of the oil extracted on peninsula Mangyshlak, ­ pipelines Uzen - Zhetybai - Aktau and Uzen - Atyrau ­ - Samara (1500 km) are stretched­­.

From the Trans-Siberian oil pipeline Tuimazy - Irkutsk on territory ­ of Russia is laid the pipeline Omsk - Pavlodar - Shymkent - Chardzhou which provides with raw materials the Pavlodar and Shymkent factories. On the Samara factories instead of the Russian oil of the Western Kazakhstan therefore between Kazakhstan and Russia is carried out mutualsettlementof accounts in the barter way goes. Oil pipeline Kenkijak - Atyrau of 448 km has been constructed in the extent according to the agreement between the Chinese National Republic and Kazakhstan. Also oil pipeline Karashyganak ­ - Atyrau is laid­.

From the Tengiz deposit which is in Atyrau areas, in port Novorossisk at coast of Black sea (Russia) is laid the oil pipeline of the Caspian pipeline consortium ­(CPC). Building is finished in 2001 its extent ­ makes 1500 km, capacity - 75 million t oil in a year. This pipeline is recognised by many countries of the world as the most perspective. Now on this pipeline the Kazakhstan oil goes for export.

The oil pipeline to the Tengiz-Baku-Supsa (the Black Sea coast of Georgia­) to port Dzhejhan at the Mediterranean coast of Turkey has been placed in operation in 2005. Thanks to this pipeline ­ Kazakhstan has had an opportunity an exit of oil extracted in the country on the international market. The general extent of the pipeline is 1730 km. On this pipeline already there is Kazakhstan oil.

In 2004 pipeline Atasu building (the bulk-oil ­ tank in the Karaganda area) has begun ­ - Alashankou (the Western ­ China) which has come to the end in 2006. Now on this pipeline ­ to China is pumped over oil.

In the future on territory of the country it is planned to spend following ­ oil pipelines:

1. Tengiz - Harg through territory of Iran will reach coast of Persian Gulf. Its extent will make 2505 km.

2. The western Kazakhstan - Kumkol consists of two directions: the Western Kazakhstan - Kenkijak and Kenkijak - Kumkol. The raw materials through these oil pipelines will arrive on the Pavlodar and Shymkent oil refining factories.

Now for maintenance with gas of new capital - Astana - the gas pipeline of 480 km is under construction in the extent from Karashyganak gas condensate deposits in the Western Kazakhstan ­ in the direction of Aksai - Red October - Kostanai - Kokshetau - Astana. Its general extent together with various ­ branches should make 1017 km. On this gas pipeline ­ will pass 4760 million m³ gas. Terms of building of the gas pipeline is 2-3 years, a time of recovery of outlay of 5-6 years.

In the long term in the Western Kazakhstan for transportation of oil from the deposit of Kashagan of Northern Caspian Sea new ­ oil pipelines will be laid­.

Telecommunications. Republic telecommunications are the part of economy and the social economy. This branch carries out ­ interrelation of territorial industrial-economic ­ complexes. The branch basis is made by telecommunications and mail services. The technical base of telecommunications consists from 637 cities, 2,8 thousand rural and 19 automated international stations. Cellular communication carry out АМРS- and GSM-standards, communication through system the Internet is widely used­.

Transport and preservation of the environment. In connection with development of the transport economy harmful influence of transport on environment has increased.

The basic source of pollution of air pool is automobile transport­: in atmosphere some hundreds thousand tons of nitrogen, carbon oxide, soot, connections ­ of lead and other poisonous substances are annually thrown out­.

Railway and air transport also pollute air. The water transport, especially petrotransport vessels (tankers), pollutes water resources.

Certain measures are taken for preservation of the environment from pernicious influence of vehicles in republic: the quantity of lead in automobile gasoline decreases, in some ­ districts gas fuel is used, control over structure of gas thrown out in atmosphere is constantly conducted. One of the major measures on reduction of the maintenance of exhaust gases in atmosphere of cities is expansion of tram-trolleybus parks.

In the future at building and use of transport highways strict observance of rules of protection of environment is planned­.

Part П

GEOGRAPHY OF ECONOMIC REGION OF KAZAKHSTAN