aspian shore are only a small part of a much larger deposit. It is said that 3.5 billion tons of oil and 2.5 trillion cubic meters of gas could be found in that area. Overall the estimate of Kazakhstan's oil deposits is 6.1 billion tons. However, there are only 3 refineries within the country, situated in Atyrau, Pavlodar, and Shymkent. These are not capable of processing the total crude output so much of it is exported to Russia. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration Kazakhstan was producing approximately 1,540,000 barrels (245,000 m) of oil per day in 2009.
As Kazakhstan positions itself to take a place in the top 10 global oil producers, in 2011 the KAZENERGY Association will host the VI KAZENERGY Eurasian Forum in Astana, October 4–5. 2011. The Forum is an influential dialogue platform that unites the entire energy industry, bringing oil and gas companies together. The KAZENERGY Eurasian Forum is an annual event in the petroleum and energy industry of Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea region.
Transport
A new highway between Almaty and the border with China will reduce transit times from around six to three hours. Most cities are connected with railway system, high speed trains go from Almaty (the most southern city) to Petropavl (Petropavlovsk)(the most northern city) in about 18hrs.
Banking
The banking industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan has experienced a pronounced boom and bust cycle over 2000s decade. After several years of rapid expansion in the mid-2000s, the banking industry collapsed in 2008. Several large banking groups, including BTA Bank J.S.C. and Alliance Bank, defaulted soon after. Since then, the industry has shrunk and been restructured, with system-wide loans dropping to 39% of GDP in 2011 from 59% in 2007. Although the Russian and Kazakh banking systems share several common features, there are also some fundamental differences. Banks in Kazakhstan have experienced a lengthy
