Serik Sultangaziyev said the company had deposited $20 million into a Georgian account to finance the deal, and hoped to sign the acquisition deal in Tblisi on around May 20.
"On our side, all issues have been resolved," he said.
Georgia announced an international tender for Tbilgaz, and put a starting price of $12.5 million on the company, after bankruptcy procedures were started against it in late 2005. Tbilgaz currently has debts of over $100 million.
Kazakhstan's prime minister, Danial Akhmetov, had previously given his backing to KazTransGaz's acquisition plans, saying that moving into the Georgian market was justified. He said Kazakhstan would maintain its price for natural gas of $110 per 1,000 cubic meters.
"There is no question of any subsidies to Georgian residents from Kazakhstan: Either they will pay this price, or we will take corresponding economic measures to solve the issue," Akhmetov said.
The Georgian Energy Ministry said at the beginning of April that gas prices for consumers in the country's capital had been raised from $0.13 to $0.17 per cubic meter. The decision, approved by the Tbilisi city legislature, followed a recent agreement between Georgia and Russia that raised prices for supplies form Russia from $60 to $110 per 1,000 cu m.
The ministry said the state had spent $16 million on subsidies since January 1, 2006, to cover the difference between the old and new consumer prices.
