Photo: golosnaroda.kz
A shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has once again hit western Kazakhstan. In the Mangystau region, long lines have formed at gas stations, and drivers are reporting supply disruptions, ORDA.kz reports.
On October 15, the regional administration held an emergency meeting to address the situation. According to Pikіr Sansyzbayev, head of the regional Department of Entrepreneurship and Trade, the main cause of the current shortage is scheduled maintenance at the Atyrau oil refinery, which will reduce the region’s LPG supply by about 3,700 tons in October. Officials are trying to make up the shortfall through deliveries from the Aktobe-based CNPC-Aktobemunaigas plant, but the distance causes delays. The department also noted an additional reason for the shortage.
“There are cases when individual entrepreneurs fail to deliver the allocated gas to their assigned filling stations, selling it instead to other regions. In addition, some newly registered stations exist only on paper to increase their monthly allocation, while in practice selling gas through other outlets,” Sansyzbayev said.
Such schemes, he added, not only worsen the shortage but could also lead to social tension. “We will conduct a full audit to trace where every liter of gas is going,” the official promised.
Meanwhile, neighboring Aktobe region is facing similar problems. According to the local newspaper Diapazon, drivers in Aktobe report a lack of LPG at several filling stations, and long lines where fuel is available. Local authorities acknowledge the issue, citing “insufficient allocations of liquefied petroleum gas.”
Supply disruptions in Kazakhstan’s western regions have become a recurring problem. In November last year, residents of Aktau spent hours waiting in line for gas, with officials then promising that the situation “would not happen again.” Earlier this October, the Aktobe region also experienced shortages, which were likewise attributed to refinery maintenance.
