Kashagan Field
Kashagan ( Kazakh: Қашаған, Russian: Кашаган ) is an oil field in Kazakhstan.
The field is located in the northern Caspian Sea near the city of Atyrau. It was discovered in 2000. The field is developed by the Italian company Eni. Besides Eni, the first held 18.52 % shares were still the Shell, Total and ExxonMobil with 18.52 % also, ConocoPhillips holds a 9.26%, 8.33% and KazMunayGas with Inpex with 8.33%.
The oil reserves of the Kashagan oil field - one of the last great discoveries of recent decades - to 9-16 billion barrels of exploitable oil contained (for comparison: in 2011 the U.S. imported 3.261 billion barrels of oil and 4.198 billion barrels of crude oil and oil products ). Its development is a major financial and technical challenge as it (including spawning ground of the beluga sturgeon ) and is located offshore in climatically harsh (5 months zugefrorener part of the Caspian Sea ) and ecologically precarious environment in a politically unstable region.
The development costs increased for these reasons immensely from originally planned 57 to now has 136 billion U.S. dollars. In summer 2007 the development was stopped for several weeks after the Kazakh Environment Minister Nurlan Iskakov had indicated that appropriate environmental regulations and customs requirements were not met. The start of production was moved from Eni now at the end of 2012, Kazakh officials maintain, however, in 2013 or 2014 is more likely. Originally the start of delivery was planned for 2005.
For mid-January 2008, the Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev invited the six participating foreign oil companies for an interview, in which it should go as compensation for the postponed start of delivery for a renegotiation of the profit share of Kazakhstan. One reason for the sharp rise in oil prices may have been, was the conclusion of the contract at $ 20 and has risen by the end of 2007 to over $ 90. In addition, reference can be made to " international role models " ( such as Russia and Venezuela).
On 14 January 2008, the Kazakh Energy Minister Sauat Mynbajew informed about the news agency Interfax, the state oil company of Kazakhstan will double its share to 16.81%, while the foreign partner abgäben corresponding proportions. To follow all the partners would each have 16.81%. In return, the Kazakhs have to pay to their foreign partners as of 2011 a total of 1.2 billion euros - a result of the negotiations, which eventually all partner companies including Exxon had agreed.
On September 7, 2013 it was announced that the People's Republic of China has been involved accounted for 8 percent of the oil field for five billion U.S. dollar. The relevant agreements between the China National Petroleum Corporation ( CNPC ) and KazMunaiGaz signed in Astana. The reserves of the oil field are estimated at around 38 billion barrels ( 159 liters each ).