Start of production at Kazakhstan's Kashagan field scheduled for second half of year
"The sequence of launching will be as follows: mechanical completion, starting-up and adjustment works, pressure testing (desulfurized gas), pressure testing with nitrogen, the start of production from the collector, increasing the level of production to project's level. The start will begin with the Bolashak complex, then it will continue on the islands of A and D," the report said.
It is planned to drill 40 wells in the first phase of the project. Only 20 wells have been drilled up to the productive reservoir, 11 wells were drilled partially and the drilling will be soon completed. "Drilling of another nine wells is needed," the report of the consortium said.
According to the consortium, the costs of the first phase of the Kashagan project at the end of April was 40.6 billion dollars.
The works were realized by 92.66 percent by the first stage, and the queues 1 and 2 (required for field commissioning) were completed for 97.88 percent, the information says.
Production volume in 2015, should reach 1.9 million barrels per day, and 2.6 million barrels per day in 2020, the report says.
The Kashagan field is located in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, 80 kilometers from the city of Atyrau, and covers an area of 75x45 km (5,600 square kilometers).
Geological reserves of the field amount to 35 billion barrels of oil; with recoverable reserves of nine to 13 billion barrels, Kazinform refers to trend.az.
The North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) is the only operator of the North-Caspian project. Its shareholders are Agip Caspian Sea BV (16.81 per cent), KMG Kashagan B.V. (16.81 per cent), ConocoPhillips North Caspian Ltd. (8.4 per cent), ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., (16.81 per cent), Inpex North Caspian Sea Ltd. (7.56 per cent), Shell Kazakhstan Development BV (16.81 per cent) and Total EP Kazakhstan (16.81 per cent).
