Unscheduled inspection started in Kashagan oil field

ATYRAU. March 8. KAZINFORM - The offshore field "Kashagan" where start-up operations are being concluded before output of oil the Department of Emergency in the Atyrau region opened the unscheduled audit of operations in the sealed wells.

The news has been announced by the head of the Regional Department of Emergency Bolatbek Omarov when he was making comments on the emergency situation which occurred on March 2 in one of the wells.

As it has previously been reported, the cause of contingency eventin the well of "Kashagan" oil field was "bending of the upper section of the mechanism for linking the equipment and then it bent." It happened on "D" artificial island during the re-entry of the well. The staff working there had been removed to a safe distance of 150 meters. The drillers could handle the situation: there was no discharge of oil or gas.

At present the well is in the sealed condition. Valves located at a depth of more than 5 thousand meters had not been opened. Only preparatory work took place to start re-entry of the well. Special commission was organized to investigate the incident and identify the causes and circumstances that led to the off-normal situation.

It should be recalled that actually "Kashagan" offshore field is completing commissioning. In June pilot commercial development of the giant field is to begin. First, up to 75 thousand barrels of oil are scheduled to be produced per day at Kashagan. In the forefront production should reach half a million barrels a day.