Kazak Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov said on April 13 that the government had designated state-owned company QazaqGaz as the single operator of the Karachaganak gas processing plant and that the project was advancing toward a preconstruction planning phase, following the earlier signing of a basic cooperation agreement with China's CITIC Construction. Akkenzhenov also warned that unresolved talks with the Karachaganak consortium were continuing to delay the project's transition to active construction.