Kashagan production to resume in 2015

Kazakhstan

ASTANA, June 25, 2014 – Oil and Gas Minister Uzakbay Karabalin on Wednesday confirmed that production from the offshore Kashagan oilfield in the northern Caspian Sea would restart by the end of 2015.

Oil production was halted in October 2013 after the pipelines moving sulphur-laden sour gas caused microscopic cracks. The $50-billion project will commence once the pipelines have been replaced.

Kazakhstan was planning to produce about 59 million barrels of oil from Kashagan in 2014, but delays due to engineering problems, climatic conditions and the presence of toxic gas have led to delays and loss of revenue.