The Canadian company, Nelson Resources Limited, has received Ministerial approval to develop the Alibekmola oil field. The development plan allows Kazakhoil Aktobe (KOA) to drill 60 production and 17 injection wells over the next four years. Nelson also announced that KOA's production testing of Well #53, the fourth appraisal well at the Alibekmola oil field, resulted in sustained flow rates of 765 barrels of oil per day (bpd). Well #53 was drilled to a total depth of 3,770 metres by KOA in November 2002. The well is the fourth of six wells to be drilled under the auspices of the 'Alibekmola Pilot Production Project.'Nelson CEO Nick Zana said, 'The fifth development well, Alibekmola #55, is expected to reach total depth of 3,600m in early February. Alibekmola #53 was targeted to test the productivity and potential of the KTII reservoir. It encountered both the KTII-1 and KTII-2 sub-sections, as predicted. The combined gross reservoir thickness in the well was 445m.

Nelson Resources further stated that sustained oil production above 5,300 bpd is now possible from the two Alibekmola workover wells and the four development wells now on stream. Regulatory authorities have granted KOA permission to operate the wells on larger choke settings, a change which resulted in significantly higher daily production capacity. Nelson also obtained permission to co-mingle flows from the two sub-sections KT II-1 and KT II-2, adding to the enhanced production currently observed from the new development wells.

Kazakhoil Aktobe is 50% owned by Kazmunaigas, the national oil company of Kazakhstan, and 50% by Nelson. Kazakhoil Aktobe holds the license for the Alibekmola and Kozhasai oil and gas fields in the Mugalzhar Region of Aktiubinsk Oblast in northwestern Kazakhstan. Based on a recent reserve evaluation by McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd., the Alibekmola field has an estimated proven and probable reserve of approximately 239 million barrels, with another 168 million barrels classified as possible. In addition, Nelson has an agreement with Kazmunaigas granting Nelson an option to acquire a 25% participatory interest in Zhambai LLP. Zhambai holds a license for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons at the Caspian offshore blocks known as South Zhambai and South Zaburunye in the Atyrau Oblast of Kazakhstan in the North Caspian Sea close to the Volga River delta. Nelson Resources Limited is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange as 'NLG.'

During the harsh years of Communist rule, hundreds of thousands of prisoners from all over the former Soviet Union were exiled to Kazakhstan, making Chabad necessary there. Kazakhstan, now a free democratic country, recognizes and supports its Jewish community. Local Jewish life had a dramatic resurgence been since the arrival in 1994 of Rabbi Yeshayah Cohen, the emissary of the Lubavitc her Rebbe, and Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan. By now, the Jews of Kazakhstan have established a vibrant community based on true Torah and Chassidic values serving the needs of visiting businessmen and tourists.