Minister Kapparov: Defective pipe - reason for leak

By Saule Tasbulatova

Emergency gas flaring, Kashagan, 26 August 2013

October 6, after repair works were finished at Bolashak plant, wells at Kashagan were started again to resume crude production, as NCOC's press service reported.

In a press release, the company stated that the reason for the gas leak at a pipeline connecting Bolashak to D Island that occurred September 24 in 2.5 kilometers from the refinery, has been established, yet failed to unveil it. 

Repair works that started September 28 are now over, NCOC says.

"On October 6, wells at D Island were reopened and the output was smoothly renewed," the release reads.

On the point, the minister of environment Nurlan Kapparov said the leak at the gas line had resulted from a poor quality pipe.

The minister added that possible damages from the incident are currently being checked.

The head of provincial ecology Yerbol Kuanov promised the investigation results for the next week.