Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said on Friday in Almaty that his country could soon become a leader in oil production , citing the country's huge untapped reserves.

At a ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence, Nazarbayev said his country had the potential to be a top producer with oil reserves estimated at 12 billion to 17 billion tons.

Kazakhstan will reconsider its strategy which will dominate the country's energy policy for the next 10 to 15 years, the president said.

He promised to make his country a reliable international partner which will contribute to world energy security.

The country has projected an output of 64 million tons of oil in 2007, 70 million tons in 2008, 78 million tons in 2009 and 84 million tons in 2010. It produced 58.9 million tons from January to November this year, and expected an annual output of 62.5 million tons.

Source: Xinhua