Kashagan halts again - troubles seem to go 'normal'

By Laura Suleimenova

As the 8th Kazenergy Eurasian Forum held with the clink of champaign glasses marking Kashagan's commercial crude output reaching daily 75,000 barrels, a bad news came from the field - the oil flow stalled one more time on October 9.

The information fast reached the forum guests and journalists, but oilmen, apparently trying not to spoil mood of the audience, chose to deny the latest incident.

Just today, October 11, NCOC media service announced that a technical failure occurred at operational facilities of D Island at 09.00 am on October 9.

"As a preventive measure the oil production will be suspended. The output will resume once troubleshooting is over," the release reads.

It also says "similar insignificant incidents are common for commissioning of complex and technologically difficult facilities."

To recall, started on September 11, the production had once stopped September 24 due to a leak in a gas line connecting D Island and Bolashak Plant.

October 6, after repair works, wells at Kashagan were reopened to stop again now.  

Today, NCOC circulated an official statement about one more incident:

"Signs of a gas leak were detected in the second half of the day on October 9, 2013 in the sanitary protection zone 2 kilometers from Bolashak plant during a planned inspection of the pipeline, linking Island D to the Bolashak plant," a message from the Department of External Relations of the North Caspian Operating Company BV (NCOC) said on Friday.

According to the message, depressurisation and treatment with nitrogen to make available the examination have been carried out as a preventive measure on the pipeline's corresponding section.

"The Emergency Situations Department was notified immediately about the incident.

No threat to human health and the environment have been observed. Excavation to open the pipeline started on the morning on October 11.

Once the work is completed, an inspection of the stretch will be carried out and if necessary, repair works will be carried out in line with the procedure. Oil production is suspended until the establishment of the cause of gas leak," the message said.