Join the 2026 Astana Market Briefing!
We are pleased to invite you to the S&P Global Energy Astana Market Briefing 2026, returning to Astana, Kazakhstan on 20th May for an in‑person gathering of senior energy leaders and market experts.
This complimentary briefing will deliver timely insights into the forces shaping energy markets across the region and beyond. Join S&P Global Energy’s thought leaders as they share their latest analysis, explore emerging trends, and engage in discussions on the issues most relevant to the market.
Key topics will include:
- Explore the dynamics of changing oil trade flows
- The global outlook for crude and refined products
- Kazakhstan’s National Energy Report: overview and key findings
- Trends shaping the petrochemical landscape
- Global upstream dynamics and investment outlook
- Agriculture and fertilizer developments
Places are limited, and early registration is encouraged to secure your attendance.
Please note: All sessions will be conducted in English, with Russian translation available. We kindly ask that registration forms are completed in English.
Agenda
*Agenda is subject to change*
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Plenary Sessions
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Afternoon Sessions
Speakers
Bolat Achulakov
Chairman of KazEnergy Association
Chairman of KazEnergy Association
Zhandos Nurmanganbetov
Executive Director of KazEnergy Association
Executive Director of KazEnergy Association
S&P Global Energy
Laurent Ruseckas
Executive Director, First Take Gas, Geopolitics and Finance
Laurent is a leading authority on the gas industry in Europe and Eurasia, with a special focus on gas supply and transportation and a regional focus on the Caspian Sea region, southeastern Europe, Turkey, Ukraine and the Eastern Mediterranean. He has published client research on topics including EU gas regulation, Russian-Ukrainian gas arbitration, and the gas sectors in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. He has worked for more than two decades advising international oil and gas companies and institutional investors on energy investment in Eurasia, and has led assignments in which S&P Global served as Lenders' Market Consultant in support of project financings on numerous occasions. Laurent first joined CERA (a predecessor company of S&P Global) in 1991 and led CERA's Caspian Energy practice from 1997 to 2003. Laurent co-managed the Caspian Development Corporation project carried out for the World Bank and European Commission (DG Energy) during the period 2009-2011. From 2006 to 2008, Laurent was based in Baku, Azerbaijan as Director of Business Development and head of strategy for a company in the oil transportation sector.
A Russian speaker, Laurent holds a B.A. with honors in Russian and Soviet Studies from Harvard University (Cambridge, USA), and he passed comprehensive examinations in the Ph.D. program in Political Science at Columbia University (New York, USA).
S&P Global Energy
Tanya Stepanova
Associate Director, Oil Markets, Midstream, and Downstream
Tanya leads a dedicated team responsible for research on Russia and CIS downstream value chain from refining and refined product markets through fuel retail. Prior to joining S&P Global, Tanya served as an executive in the International Financial Policy Department of the Ministry of Finance in Riga, Latvia.
Tanya holds a bachelor's degree from the International University Audentes, Estonia and a master's degree from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po). She speaks English, Russian, French, and Latvian and is based in S&P Global Paris office.
S&P Global Energy
Francesco Di Salvo
Global Director, Clean Refined Oil Products Pricing
S&P Global Energy
Paulina Mirenkova
Director
Paulina focuses on the political and investment climate and energy markets of Russia and Central Asia. She was an author and project manager of Kazakhstan's 2015, 2017 and 2019 National Energy Strategy Reports steered by KazEnergy. The reports provide comprehensive coverage of all sectors across the energy industry, discuss environmental and energy efficiency issues, and analyze important global trends in the energy sphere. Paulina is an author and editor of the annual Caspian Energy Watch, covering regional developments in the oil and gas sectors. Her latest research reports covered Azerbaijan's gas prospects beyond Shah Deniz, Kazakhstan's gas exports to China, the importance of small and medium size oil producers to the overall oil profile of Kazakhstan 's oil production, and the impact of the Eurasian Economic Union integration process on Kazakhstan's domestic energy market. Prior to joining S&P Global Energy, Paulina was a quantitative analyst with an asset management firm in Boston.
Paulina holds bachelor's degrees (with honors) from Northeastern University and a Master of Arts degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
S&P Global Energy
Matt Sagers
Vice President, Eurasian Energy Research
Vice President, Eurasian Energy Research