Golder Establishes Operating Company in Kazakhstan

Atyrau, Kazakhstan - Golder Associates, a global consulting, design and construction services company, has announced formation of a new operation in Kazakhstan to advance our strategic business priorities in the oil and gas and mining markets, and to further our desire to support the development of the world-class oil and gas and mineral reserves in this Asian republic.

This new operating company, Golder Associates Kazakhstan LLP (GAK), has an office in Atyrau on the Caspian Sea. The day-to-day operations and business development activities are being managed by Artur Iralin, who is joining Golder from his most recent position as a business development director for a joint venture between a brownfield engineering group and an EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) contractor in Kazakhstan. Iralin also has served as a Canadian trade commissioner in Kazakhstan.

Golder's Kazakhstan leadership team includes Sergio Campi, who is Country Manager and Executive Director for Kazakhstan, and Chris Swindells, General Director for Kazakhstan and Regional President of Golder's Asian operations.

Campi, a Principal of Golder who is based in the Turin, Italy office, has served as champion of Golder's Kazakhstan initiative. He continues to play a major role in business development activities for Golder's oil and gas sector and has worked with many of the key clients of Golder who operate in Kazakhstan.

Our Kazakhstan operation will position Golder to significantly contribute to the growth of the oil and gas and mining sectors in this region and help our clients with many of the significant and long-term investments they have planned.

Kazakhstan is considered one of the frontiers in oil and gas development, and is aiming to become one of the top 10 oil and gas exporters in the world by 2020. In other natural resources, Kazakhstan has considerable mineral wealth in copper, lead, zinc, chromium, manganese, iron, gold and silver. It ranks second in world reserves of uranium and is among the top 10 coal-rich countries.