Kazakhstan may enforce universal oil export duty

ASTANA (Reuters) - Kazakhstan announced plans on Thursday to enforce an oil export duty for all producers in the resource-rich country, alarming Western companies that have so far been exempt from the measure.

Kazakh officials have so far assured Western majors their operations would not be liable as their production contracts cannot be changed. The duty of $109.91 per tonne, enforced on Monday, applies largely to domestic producers.

In the government's first indication this may also change, Finance Minister Bolat Zhamishev told parliament he supported moves to make all producers pay export duties to boost budget revenues and stabilize domestic supplies.

"At the moment the export duty is enforced with limitations. This means that it does not affect producers who use contracts stipulating a stable (customs) regime," he told parliament.

"From next year it is assumed that this exemption will be waived with the introduction of a new tax code."

The current duty is based on the average first-quarter global oil price of $714.9 per metric tonne, or about $94 per barrel (one tonne of Kazakh oil roughly equals 7.6 barrels).

Under the existing scheme, the Western operators of the huge Tengiz and Karachaganak oil and gas fields are exempt.

KazMunaiGas E&P (KMGq.L), the upstream unit of the national oil company, tops the list of 38 liable companies.

The list also includes Kazakhturkmunai and Kazakhoil Aktobe, two companies in which KMG E&P was seeking to buy stakes, and London-listed Zhaikmunai (ZKMq.L). PetroKazakhstan, controlled by China's CNPC, is on the list as well, but with exemptions for two contracts.

(Writing by Maria Golovnina; editing by James Jukwey)