ASTANA, February 26 (RIA Novosti) - Kazakhstan intends to increase natural gas production from 29.6 billion cubic meters in 2007 to 114 bln cu m in 2020, the president of national oil and gas company KazMunaiGaz said Tuesday.

"Natural gas production is expected to grow from 29.6 bln cu m in 2007 to 114 bln cu m in 2020," Uzakbai Karabalin told a Cabinet meeting.

He said most of the increase would be secured by putting new gas fields on stream in the west of the republic, as well as utilizing "the resources of the Kazakh and Turkmen sectors in the Caspian shelf."

The company head said gas consumption in Kazakhstan is expected to grow from 13.3 bln cu m in 2007 to 18.7 bln in 2020.