Production at Kashagan to resume only in 2015

Minister of Economy and Budget Planning of Kazakhstan Yerbolat Dossayev announced at the Tuesday press briefing of the Central Communications Service. "From the NCOC's message I've learnt that oil and gas pipelines leading from the Kashagan field to the land will be replaced and that production is likely to be resumed only in 2015," Minister Dossayev said. Currently, NCOC, the operator of the project, is busy with working out a plan on full replacement of the pipelines which is to be completed by mid 2014. But resumption of Kashagan oil production is not expected in 2014. As reported earlier, the operations at Kashagan were suspended in September 2013 due to a gas leak in the ground pipeline. The oil production was resumed in October and halted after another leak was detected. As the operator of the Kashagan oil field, NCOC will have to pay a $700 million fine for ecological damage.