Shell And British Petroleum Keep Kazakh Plans

Shell and British Petroleum said on Tuesday they were sticking to their plans in Kazakhstan despite worries over security in central Asia after the suicide attacks in the United States and a possible U.S. retaliation. Oil-rich Kazakhstan shares borders with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, both of which border Afghanistan, accused by the United States of sheltering the prime suspect behind the September 11 attacks, Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden. "Investment changes have not been made, investments go ahead as before, although we have increased security measures on the CPC (Caspian Pipeline Consortium) pipeline," Martin Ferstl, President of the Shell Companies of Kazakhstan, said on the sidelines of the KIOGE energy conference in the Kazakh capital, the Russia Journal wrote.