ASTANA / Reuters Kazakhstan is aiming for a standalone deal with leading global oil producers on restraining its crude production due to a need to crank up output at its Kashagan field, a Kazakh official said. The Central Asian nation increased oil and gas condensate output by 9.9 percent in January-July to 49.907 million tonnes, or 1.724 million barrels per …

ALGIERS / Reuters Algeria’s government has approved draft amendments to a law aimed at securing new funding sources to cover budget deficits as it struggles to cope with a sharp fall in energy earnings. Amendments to the Money and Credit Law were endorsed at a cabinet meeting, chaired by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, that discussed plans for the newly appointed government …

Bloomberg China will expand its agricultural use of environment-damaging plastic film to boost crop production even as authorities try to curb soil pollution, a government scientist said. Some 1.45 million metric tons of polyethylene are spread in razor-thin sheets across 49 million acres—an area about half the size of California—of farmland in China. Use of the translucent material may exceed …