Watching: Black Gold

Overview

1992, the country is in economic chaos following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Kasym Isagaliyev, the director of a successful construction holding, decides to enter the oil industry at the suggestion of a geologist partner — to obtain a license for two fields that the state has declared unprofitable. He faces a number of challenges: difficulties in securing funding, tough negotiations with investors, lack of experience in the new field, and competitors who have no intention of staying on the sidelines. Moreover, there is no 100 % guarantee that the disputed fields contain sufficient oil reserves.