As far as I know I think Kazakhstan has been one of the most stable countries among former Soviet Union ones.
At this time of the year gas is always in high demand, and recently global gas prices went up significantly.
I am not sure, but I would assume they sell natural gas and oil to Europe and elsewhere through Russian energy companies.
It comes down to balancing the energy needs of the local population and business vs selling to foreign countries for higher prices.
I doubt there is a correlation to mining though.
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