Oil production not resumed at Kazakh Kashagan field yet

Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 1 / Trend E. Kosolapova/

North Caspian Operating Company which operates Kashagan field in Kazakhstan has not resumed oil production at the field yet, Kazinform reported with the reference to the company.

Oil production was suspended at Kashagan following detection a gas leak at Kazakh Bolashak Integrated Oil and Gas Plant in Atyrau which receives oil from the field on Sep. 24.

"All repair operations are carried out in strict accordance with the requirements of national and international safety rules. The situation within and outside the sanitary protection zone is under control and there is no threat to the population and the environment. It is too early to tell about the date of production resumption," NCOC said.

Meanwhile earlier Kazakh officials said that all repair operations at the plant would be completed and oil production would be resumed in 3-4 days.

This incident is not the first when gas leaks at Bolashak Integrated Oil and Gas Plant. The last similar incident occurred here on August 26.

Oil production at Kashagan oil and gas field was launched on September 11.

Kashagan is a large oil and gas field in Kazakhstan located in the north of the Caspian Sea. Its geological reserves are estimated at 4.8 billion tons of oil. The total oil reserves amount to 38 billion barrels, some 10 billion out of them are recoverable reserves. There are large natural gas reserves at the Kashagan field - over one trillion cubic meters.