Kazakh Kashagan might start oil production in 2014

ASTANA (Reuters) – Commercial production at Kazakhstan’s giant Kashagan oil field is expected to start later than the agreed 2013 launch date, a Kazakh oil industry official said on Thursday.

Tumir Kulibayev, head of the influential KazEnergy association whose members include major Kazakh oil companies including state-owned KazMunaiGas, said the delay would be technical and would not mean a breach of the contract.

“They are talking about October 2013, but it would be impossible to launch (the production) during the winter so it will be 2014,” Kulibayev told an energy conference.

In June, Kazakhstan and the group of oil majors developing the field agreed to hold off the start of production until 2013 after a year of tension over the world’s biggest oil discovery in 30 years.

Reuters