據7月23日 Neftegaz.RU. 報道。哈薩克斯坦北里海運營公司(North Caspian Operating Company)對標普全球表示，在最近的升級和維護工作之后，該公司計劃進一步增產，并計劃在本季度為附近的兩個油田推出一個新項目。

在一封電子郵件中，這個由7名成員組成的集團的管理層還強調了應對里海海平面波動的挑戰。在過去10年里，里海北部哈薩克斯坦淺海地區的海平面已經下降了一米。

卡沙干油田于2000年被發現，是過去半個世紀最大的石油發現之一，估計可開采石油儲量在90億至130億桶之間，但在最初的開發過程中遇到了困難，耗資550億美元。

由殼牌前高管理查德?豪(Richard Howe)領導的NCOC表示，自2016年投產以來，該公司首次大規模停產，石油日產量已達到37萬桶。

在35天停工中，包括了一些提高安全和效率的項目，其中包括一個處理廠的再沸器升級，以及海上注氣系統的改造。NCOC表示，后者能夠大幅增加天然氣注入和石油產量。

該公司表示，目前正在進行“初步工程”，有望使卡沙干油田在當前開發階段的日產量超過45萬桶，不過這需要得到投資者的同意和政府的批準。

與此同時，NCOC表示，已開始計劃第二階段，進一步提高產量。在第一階段產量穩定之前，NCOC似乎一直在回避這一問題。目前，第二階段的發展規劃工作正在進行中。NCOC計劃晚些時候宣布開發Kashagan油田的概念，這將顯著提高目前水平的產量。

此外，NCOC表示，該集團與另一家持有附近Khazar油田開采許可證的合資企業一起，計劃在本季度提交Khazar和Kalamkas海上油田的開發計劃。

Khazar由殼牌、哈薩克斯坦國家石油公司和阿曼石油公司合資經營。NCOC表示，與NCOC聯合開發將“最大限度地發揮協同作用，并有助于這兩個領域的經濟可行性”。

“合作開發”可能需要鉆探50多口井，日產量可能達到10萬桶，最終投資決定預計不遲于2022年。然而，哈薩克斯坦的第一個聯合項目仍有“多個商業、法律和行政問題”需要解決。報告稱，來自政府的“持續支持”將促進這類開發工作的開展。

NCOC由哈薩克斯坦國家石油公司(KazMunaiGaz)、意大利埃尼集團(Eni)、道達爾(Total)、埃克森美孚(ExxonMobil)和殼牌(Shell)組成，各持有16.81%的股份，中國石油天然氣集團公司(CNPC)持有8.33%的股份，日本石油天然氣集團公司(Inpex)持有7.56%的股份。

王佳晶 摘譯自 Neftegaz.RU.

原文如下：

Kashagan consortium eyes output increases, new joint project

Kazakhstan's North Caspian Operating Company, which manages the giant Kashagan oil field, is planning further production increases after recent upgrade and maintenance work, and aims to present a new project for 2 nearby fields in the current quarter, it told S&P Global Platts.

In an email, the management of the 7-member consortium also underlined the challenge of dealing with fluctuating Caspian sea levels, which have fallen by a meter in the last decade in the shallow Kazakh sector of the northern Caspian.

Discovered in 2000, Kashagan was one of the largest oil finds of the last half century, with an estimated 9 billion-13 billion barrels of recoverable oil, but was plagued by difficulties during its initial development, which cost $55 billion.

Oil production volumes have reached 370,000 b/d following the 1st major shutdown since production began in 2016, according to NCOC, which is headed by former Shell executive Richard Howe.

The 35-day shutdown, completed in May, included projects to improve safety and efficiency, among them a processing plant re-boiler upgrade, and a revamp of the offshore gas injection system. The latter "allowed us to substantially increase gas injection and oil production," NCOC said.

"Preliminary engineering" is now underway that could lift Kashagan production above 450,000 b/d under the current development phase, although this would require investor and government approval, it said.

In parallel, NCOC said it had started planning a 2nd phase to further boost production, something it has appeared to shy away from until 1st-phase production was stabilized. "Work is now underway to plan the 2nd stage of development. NCOC plans to announce later the concept of this development of the Kashagan field [which] will significantly enhance production versus the current level," it said.

Additionally, the consortium, together with another venture that holds the license to the nearby Khazar field, aims to submit a development plan for both the Khazar and Kalamkas Sea fields in the current quarter, NCOC said.

Khazar is operated by a joint venture between Shell, KazMunaiGaz and Oman Oil Company. A joint development with NCOC would "maximize synergies and contribute to the economic viability" of both fields, NCOC said.

The "cooperative development" could entail drilling more than 50 wells and production could reach 100,000 b/d, with a Final Investment Decision expected "no later than 2022," it said.

However, there remain to be addressed "multiple commercial, legal and administrative issues" for what is a "1st-of-a-kind" joint project for Kazakhstan. "Continued support" from the authorities will be "enablers to proceeding with this kind of development work," it said.

NCOC comprises KazMunaiGaz, with 16.88%, Italy's Eni, Total, ExxonMobil and Shell with 16.81% stakes each, China's CNPC with 8.33%, and Japan's Inpex with 7.56%.