The operator of the Kashagan field NCOC has been fined $700 million, Kazakhstan Minister of Oil and Gas Uzakbay Karabalin said at the parliament session yesterday.
“As far as the Kashagan field is concerned, you know that the Kazakhstan Ministry of Environment Protection has laid claims and brought an action against NCOC to apply fines worth over $700 million. This is currently under discussion. The company’s contractors are opposed to this sum and consider it very high. The court will, probably, hear the arguments of the both sides win presence of the international consultants,” Karabalin said when answering Deputies’ questions.
In September 2013 there was hydrogen sulfide leakage not far from the oil and gas refining installation at the Bolashak plant. After the accident the residual gas was burnt on the flares of the ground and offshore complexes of the Kashagan field. The Department has checked the activities of Ajip KPO and NCOC. It was established that in September and October 2013 the entire residual volume of acid gas was burnt on the flares of the plant and the island as a result of the bursts of the ground sections of the gas pipeline. The checkup proved that total volume of acid gas burnt in excess of the planned rate totaled 2,795,149 cub.m, reported Oilnews.kz.
