This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

537 

Vol. 76, No. 3 

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

Eurasian Oil and Gas Suppliers 

Mission to Almaty, Kazakhstan Ankara 

and Istanbul Turkey 

AGENCY: International Trade 

Administration, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Mission Description 

The United States Department of 

Commerce, International Trade 

Administration, U.S. and Foreign 

Commercial Service (CS) is organizing 

an industry-specific Oil & Gas 

Equipment and Services Mission to 

Kazakhstan and Turkey from June 20– 

24, 2011. Led by a senior Department of 

Commerce official, the mission will 

include representatives from a variety of 

U.S. firms specializing in the following 

product areas: 

• Offshore/onshore oil and gas 

drilling and production equipment and 

services; 

• Turbines, compressors and pumps 

for pipeline applications; 

• Measurement and process control 

equipment for pipeline operations; 

• Industrial automation, control and 

monitoring systems and other 

equipment and services for refineries, 

gas processing and petrochemical 

plants; 

• Seismic processing and 

interpretation; 

• Petroleum software development; 

• Sulfur removal and disposal 

technologies; 

• Well stimulation; 

• Field abandonment services; 

• Geothermal exploration, drilling, 

production and processing equipment 

and services; and 

• Engineering and industrial 

construction companies. 

Mission participants will be 

introduced to international agents, 

distributors, and end-users whose 

capabilities and services are targeted to 

each participant’s needs. This mission 

will contribute to National Export 

Initiative goals through increased sales 

of oil and gas equipment/services in 

Turkey and Kazakhstan. 

Participants will have an opportunity 

to meet with major international 

exploration and production companies 

and integrated service providers 

operating in Istanbul and Ankara, 

Turkey and Almaty, Kazakhstan. The 

mission will also include matchmaking 

with potential local partners and 

visiting sites of commercial interest. We 

are targeting 15 U.S. company 

representatives responsible for their 

corporate activity in Eurasia. 

Commercial Setting—Turkey 

Turkey, the world’s 17th largest 

economy, is a major consumer of oil and 

gas. Although oil and gas produced in 

Turkey currently meets only a small 

fraction of the country’s demand, there 

are significant prospects offshore in the 

Black Sea, and onshore in the Thrace 

region of western Turkey, and the East 

and Southeast. Between 2002 and 2009, 

747 wells were drilled. In 2009 alone, 

$716 million was spent for oil and gas 

exploration and production in Turkey. 

As of today, only 20% of onshore 

prospects and 1% of offshore prospects 

have been explored. Chevron and 

ExxonMobil announced important 

exploration efforts in 2009 and 2010 in 

the Western Black Sea Region. 

Companies offering technologies and 

services for exploration and production 

can also find a market in the geothermal 

sector: Turkey ranks No.1 in Europe and 

7 in the world in terms of geothermal 

power potential. 

Turkey is a crucial corridor between 

the energy-rich Caspian and Middle East 

and Europe. The planned 3,300 km 

NABUCCO natural gas pipeline will 

link Caspian and Middle Eastern 

suppliers through Turkey to Central 

Europe, and will create major 

opportunities for U.S. companies. The 

total capacity of the pipeline will be 25 

to 31 BCMA. Estimated investment costs 

including financing costs for the entire 

pipeline system will be well over $10 

billion. Other potential pipeline projects 

include Italy—Greece—Turkey 

Interconnector (ITGI) and Trans Adriatic 

Pipeline (TAP). 

In addition to oil and gas exploration 

and production activities and pipelines, 

new refinery and petrochemical plants 

are planned over the next decade, with 

a projected increase of over 90% in 

refining capacity by 2019, to over 1.3 

million BPD. 

Turkey’s oil and gas market provides 

excellent opportunities for U.S. 

companies within the following product 

areas: 

1. Offshore and onshore oil and gas 

exploration and production equipment 

and services, 

2. 2–D and 3–D Seismic equipment 

and engineering services, 

3. Shale gas exploration and 

production equipment and services, 

4. Horizontal Drilling equipment and 

services, 

5. Petrochemical processing 

equipment and services, 

6. Geothermal energy exploration and 

drilling equipment and engineering 

services, 

7. Coal-bed methane production 

equipment and services, 

8. Compressors, turbines, measuring 

meters, SCADA systems, and pumps for 

pipelines, 

9. Pipeline construction equipment 

and engineering services, 

10. Refinery processing equipment 

and refinery auxiliary units, 

11. Oil and Gas Storage Systems. 

Commercial Setting—Kazakhstan 

Kazakhstan has the Caspian Sea 

region’s largest recoverable crude oil 

reserves and accounts for approximately 

two-thirds of the roughly 1.8 million 

barrels per day (bpd) currently being 

produced in the region. The 

Government of Kazakhstan and foreign 

investors continue to focus heavily on 

the hydrocarbons sector, which so far 

has received approximately 60% of the 

estimated $58 billion in foreign direct 

investment in Kazakhstan since 1991, 

and makes up approximately 53% of its 

export revenue. Existing oil extraction 

sites offshore in the North Caspian, 

combined with onshore fields currently 

under development, mark Kazakhstan as 

a potentially major near-term oil 

exporter. Already its oil production has 

reached 1.4 million bpd, with daily 

output expected to total 2.6 million bpd 

by 2015. As a result, foreign investors 

are increasing their focus in its energy 

infrastructure, including oil 

transportation routes such as the BakuTbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. 

Oil industry sources estimate that 

Kazakhstan could eventually attract up 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
538 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2011 / Notices 

to $140 billion of foreign investment in 

its oil infrastructure. Industry experts 

and the U.S. Commercial Service in 

Almaty estimate that the current market 

for oil and gas field equipment and 

services will grow to $7.5 billion in 

2010, and will continue growing at 15– 

20% annually over the next three years. 

Kazakhstan as yet has no experience in 

offshore production and operations. 

This experience gap offers many 

opportunities for U.S. service 

companies in rig work, support 

infrastructure, and environmentally 

sensitive technologies. The Caspian 

Basin’s oil-bearing formations are 

generally quite deep (15,000 feet), under 

considerable pressure, and often contain 

a high degree of sulfur and other 

contaminants, making special drilling 

and processing equipment necessary. 

Additionally, U.S. oil and gas field 

equipment suppliers have the potential 

for solid growth over the next decade as 

new fields are brought on-stream and 

secondary recovery methods are 

introduced to existing deposits. 

Kazakhstan’s oil and gas market 

provides excellent opportunities for 

U.S. companies within the following 

product areas: 

1. Oil and Gas Well Development; 

2. Field Operation; 

3. Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration/ 

Exploitation Equipment; 

4. Gathering, Treatment, 

Transportation and Storage of Oil, 

Petrochemical Products and Natural 

Gas; 

5. Pumps, Fittings and Valves; 

6. Gas Detection and Monitoring 

Systems; 

7. Oil and Gas Field Chemicals; 

8. Pipeline Construction Equipment; 

and 

9. Pipeline Corrosion Controls. 

Mission Goals 

The trade mission will assist 

representatives of American companies 

responsible for business activity in 

Eurasia with their efforts to identify 

profitable opportunities and new 

markets for their respective U.S. 

companies and to increase their export 

potential. The summary of results 

expected from the mission includes 

finding potential partners, agents and 

distributors, joint venture partners, and 

provide market knowledge for future 

expansion. 

Mission Scenario 

In Kazakhstan, mission members will 

be presented with a briefing by the U.S. 

Embassy’s Commercial Officer, the 

Commercial Specialist for the oil and 

gas sector and other key government 

and corporate officials. Participants will 

also take part in business matchmaking 

appointments with Kazakhstani private 

sector companies. In addition, they will 

meet with invited representatives from 

major oil consortia including 

Tengizchevroil (TCO), North Caspian 

Operations Company (NCOC), 

Karachaganak Petroleum Operating 

(KPO), KazMunayGas (KMG), and others 

during which they will learn how to get 

pre-qualified with these operators. The 

venue will be Almaty, Kazakhstan—the 

country’s business capital. 

In Turkey, mission members will also 

be presented with a briefing by the U.S. 

Embassy’s Commercial Officer, the 

Commercial Specialist for the oil and 

gas sector and other key government 

and corporate officials. Participants will 

take part in business matchmaking 

appointments with Turkish private 

sector companies, which would be 

potential candidates for agent/ 

representative or distributor. Depending 

on the availability, potential buyers may 

also be scheduled for meetings. The 

venue will be Ankara, the capital of 

Turkey where the public sector is 

headquartered and Istanbul where 

headquarters of most of the private 

sector is located. 

U.S. participants will be counseled 

before and after the mission by the 

domestic mission coordinator. 

Participation in the mission will include 

the following: 

• Pre-travel webinars on subjects 

ranging from industry briefings to 

business practices in Turkey and 

Kazakhstan. 

• Pre-scheduled meetings with 

potential partners, distributors, end 

users, or local industry contacts in 

Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey; 

• Transportation to and from all 

airports and all mission-organized 

meetings; 

• Meetings with key government 

decision makers and private sector 

firms; 

• Participation in networking 

receptions in Turkey and Kazakhstan; 

and 

• Meetings with CS Turkey’s and CS 

Kazakhstan’s energy oil and gas 

specialists in Istanbul and Ankara, 

Turkey and Almaty, Kazakhstan. 

Mission Timetable 

Mission participants will arrive in 

Almaty, Kazakhstan on Sunday, June 

19, 2011 and the mission program will 

take place from June 20–24, 2011. 

Departure to the United States or other 

onward destinations will be on Sunday, 

June 25, 2011. 

Sunday, June 19, 2011—Almaty, Kazakhstan ....................................... • Arrival in Almaty, Kazakhstan. 

Day 1: Monday, June 20, 2011—Almaty, Kazakhstan .......................... • Agenda Review and Market briefings by U.S. Embassy officials. 

• Matchmaking Meetings. 

• Networking Reception. 

Day 2: Tuesday, June 21, 2011—Almaty, Kazakhstan .......................... • Meetings with TCO, KPO, NCOC, KMG, and others. 

• Further Meetings. 

• Departure to Turkey. 

Day 3: Wednesday, June 22, 2011—Ankara, Turkey ............................ • Embassy Briefing. 

• Industry Briefing. 

• Evening Networking Reception at Ambassador’s Residence. 

Day 4: Thursday, June 23, 2011—Ankara, Turkey ................................ • Briefings by Petroleum Affairs General Directorate and/or Turkish 

Petroleum (TPAO) and/or PETFORM. 

• 1–1 matchmaking meetings. 

• Afternoon/Evening Departure to Istanbul. 

Day 5: Friday, June 24, 2011—Istanbul, Turkey ................................... • One-on-one matchmaking meetings with potential agents, distributors or partners. 

• Evening reception hosted by Consul General. 

Day 6: Saturday, June 25, 2011—Istanbul, Turkey ............................... • Departure from Istanbul. 

Participation Requirements 

All parties interested in participating 

in the Commercial Service Eurasian Oil 

and Gas Suppliers Trade Mission must 

complete and submit an application 

package for consideration by the 

Department of Commerce. All 

applicants will be evaluated on their 

ability to meet certain conditions and 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2011 / Notices 539 

1An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer 

employees or that otherwise qualifies as a small 

business under SBA regulations. See http:// 

www.sba.gov/contractingopportunities/owners/ 

basics/whatismallbusiness/index.html. Parent 

companies, affiliates, and subsidiaries will be 

considered when determining business size. The 

dual pricing reflects the Commercial Service’s user 

fee schedule that became effective May 1, 2008. See 

http://www.export.gov/newsletter/march2008/ 

initiatives.html. 

best satisfy the selection criteria as 

outlined below. A minimum of 15 

companies will be selected to 

participate in the mission from the 

applicant pool. U.S. companies already 

doing business with Turkey and 

Kazakhstan as well as U.S. companies 

seeking to enter these markets for the 

first time may apply. 

Expenses: 

After a company has been selected to 

participate on the mission, a 

participation fee to the U.S. Department 

of Commerce is required. The 

participation fee for one representative 

is $3,160 for a small or medium-sized 

enterprise (SME) 1 and $4,585 for large 

firms. The fee for each additional firm 

representative (SME or large) is $450. 

Expenses for travel, lodging, most 

meals, and incidentals will be the 

responsibility of each mission 

participant. Delegation members will be 

able to take advantage of Embassy rates 

for hotel rooms. 

Conditions for Participation: 

• An applicant must submit a 

completed and signed mission 

application and supplemental 

application materials, including 

adequate information on the company’s 

products and/or services, primary 

market objectives, and goals for 

participation. If the Department of 

Commerce receives an incomplete 

application, the Department may reject 

the application, request additional 

information, or take the lack of 

information into account when 

evaluating the applications. 

• Each applicant must also certify 

that the products and services it seeks 

to export through the mission are either 

produced in the United States, or, if not, 

marketed under the name of a U.S. firm 

and have at least 51 percent U.S. 

content of the value of the finished 

product or service. 

Selection Criteria for Participation: 

Selection will be based on the 

following criteria: 

• Suitability of the company’s 

products or services to the Eurasian 

Region oil and gas equipment and 

services market 

• Applicant’s potential for business 

in Turkey and Kazakhstan, including 

likelihood of exports resulting from the 

mission 

• Consistency of the applicant’s goals 

and objectives with the stated scope of 

the mission 

Diversity of company size, type, 

location, demographics and traditional 

under representation in business, may 

also be considered during the review 

process. 

Referrals from political organizations 

and any documents containing 

references to partisan political activities 

(including political contributions) will 

be removed from an applicant’s 

submission and not considered during 

the selection process. 

Timeframe for recruitment and 

Applications 

Mission recruitment will be 

conducted in an open and public 

manner, including posting on the 

Commerce Department trade missions 

calendar—http://www.ita.doc.gov/ 

doctm/tmcal.html—and other Internet 

websites, publication in domestic trade 

publications and association 

newsletters, direct outreach to internal 

clients and distribution lists, posting in 

the Federal Register, and 

announcements at industry meetings, 

symposia, conferences, and trade shows. 

Recruitment for the mission will 

begin immediately and conclude no 

later than April 15, 2011. The U.S. 

Department of Commerce will review all 

applications immediately after the 

deadline. Applications received after 

this date will be considered only if 

space and scheduling constraints 

permit. We will inform applicants of 

selection decisions as soon as possible 

after the deadline. 

Contact Information 

U.S. Commercial Service Domestic 

Contact 

Brendan Kelly, Tel: 713–209–3113, Email: brendan.kelly@trade.gov. Lisa 

Huot, Tel: 202–482–1841, E-mail: 

lisa.huot@trade.gov. 

U.S. Commercial Service Almaty, 

Kazakhstan 

Jennifer Kane, Senior Commercial 

Officer or Azhar Kadrzhanova, 

Commercial Specialist, U.S. Consulate 

General—Almaty, 41 Kazybek bi Street, 

Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan, Tel.: +7 

(727) 250–7612, Fax: +7 (727) 250–0777, 

E-mail: Jennifer.Kane@trade.gov and 

Azhar.Kadrzhanova@trade.gov. 

U.S. Commercial Service Ankara, 

Turkey 

Michael Lally, Senior Commercial 

Officer or Serdar Cetinkaya, Senior 

Commercial Specialist, U.S. Embassy— 

Ankara, Tel: +90 (312) 457–7203, Fax: 

+90 (312) 457–7302, E-mail: 

Michael.Lally@trade.gov and 

Serdar.Cetinkaya@trade.gov. 

U.S. Commercial Service Istanbul, 

Turkey 

Gregory Taevs, Principal Commercial 

Officer, Tel: +90 (212) 335 9302, Fax: 

+90 (212) 335 9103, E-mail: 

Gregory.Taevs@trade.gov. 

Frank Spector, 

Global Trade Promotion Programs, U.S. & 

Foreign Commercial Services. 

[FR Doc. 2010–33248 Filed 1–4–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology 

[Docket Number: 101129594–0594–02] 

Alternative Personnel Management 

System (APMS) at the National 

Institute of Standards and Technology 

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards 

and Technology, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: This notice provides for changes 

to existing provisions of the National 

Institute of Standards and Technology’s 

(NIST) Alternative Personnel 

Management System (APMS) published 

October 21, 1997 (62 FR 54604). 

SUMMARY: This notice announces 

changes to existing provisions of the 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology’s (NIST) Alternative 

Personnel Management System (APMS), 

primarily to expedite hiring and align 

APMS Direct-Hire procedures with the 

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 

Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR part 337 

and 69 FR 114). NIST will pilot directhire authority under 5 CFR part 337, 

subpart B, for a period of one year from 

the issuance date of this notice, for all 

positions within NIST in the Scientific 

and Engineering (ZP) career path at the 

Pay Band III and above, for Nuclear 

Reactor Operator positions in the 

Scientific and Engineering Technician 

(ZT) career path at Pay Band III and 

above, and for all occupations for which 

there is a special rate under the General 

Schedule pay system. 

DATES: This notice is effective on 

January 5, 2011. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Essex Brown at the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, (301) 975– 

3801; or Pamela Boyland at the U.S. 

Department of Commerce, (202) 482– 

1068. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES