据7月23日 Neftegaz.RU. 报道。哈萨克斯坦北里海运营公司(North Caspian Operating Company)对标普全球表示，在最近的升级和维护工作之后，该公司计划进一步增产，并计划在本季度为附近的两个油田推出一个新项目。

在一封电子邮件中，这个由7名成员组成的集团的管理层还强调了应对里海海平面波动的挑战。在过去10年里，里海北部哈萨克斯坦浅海地区的海平面已经下降了一米。

卡沙干油田于2000年被发现，是过去半个世纪最大的石油发现之一，估计可开采石油储量在90亿至130亿桶之间，但在最初的开发过程中遇到了困难，耗资550亿美元。

由壳牌前高管理查德?豪(Richard Howe)领导的NCOC表示，自2016年投产以来，该公司首次大规模停产，石油日产量已达到37万桶。

在35天停工中，包括了一些提高安全和效率的项目，其中包括一个处理厂的再沸器升级，以及海上注气系统的改造。NCOC表示，后者能够大幅增加天然气注入和石油产量。

该公司表示，目前正在进行“初步工程”，有望使卡沙干油田在当前开发阶段的日产量超过45万桶，不过这需要得到投资者的同意和政府的批准。

与此同时，NCOC表示，已开始计划第二阶段，进一步提高产量。在第一阶段产量稳定之前，NCOC似乎一直在回避这一问题。目前，第二阶段的发展规划工作正在进行中。NCOC计划晚些时候宣布开发Kashagan油田的概念，这将显著提高目前水平的产量。

此外，NCOC表示，该集团与另一家持有附近Khazar油田开采许可证的合资企业一起，计划在本季度提交Khazar和Kalamkas海上油田的开发计划。

Khazar由壳牌、哈萨克斯坦国家石油公司和阿曼石油公司合资经营。NCOC表示，与NCOC联合开发将“最大限度地发挥协同作用，并有助于这两个领域的经济可行性”。

“合作开发”可能需要钻探50多口井，日产量可能达到10万桶，最终投资决定预计不迟于2022年。然而，哈萨克斯坦的第一个联合项目仍有“多个商业、法律和行政问题”需要解决。报告称，来自政府的“持续支持”将促进这类开发工作的开展。

NCOC由哈萨克斯坦国家石油公司(KazMunaiGaz)、意大利埃尼集团(Eni)、道达尔(Total)、埃克森美孚(ExxonMobil)和壳牌(Shell)组成，各持有16.81%的股份，中国石油天然气集团公司(CNPC)持有8.33%的股份，日本石油天然气集团公司(Inpex)持有7.56%的股份。

王佳晶 摘译自 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%.