News 2013
#1 (79), February 2013KPO
The international consortium Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (KPO) has prepared preliminary estimates of possible configurations of Stage 3 of the project for the development of the largest Karachaganak oil and gas condensate field. In the strategy’s presentation it is said that this stage assumes increase in gas production from the field up to 27.9 billion cubic meters a year by 2022.
In 2011, KPO produced over 12 million tons of liquid hydrocarbons and about 17 billion cubic meters of gas from Karachaganak, that is more the 2010 figures by 6 % and 9 % on average accordingly. The 2012 data testify to the plans to produce 16.36 billion cubic meters of gas and 10.13 million tons of condensate and oil. Meantime, the planned volume of gas injection should come to 7.75 billion cubic meters.
The selection of the concept for Stage 3 depends on coordination of the volumes of deliveries of crude gas and unstable condensate to the Orenburg Gas Refinery supervised by Russian Gazprom (according to the intergovernmental agreement of October 3, 2006, under implementation of the new stage it is envisaged delivery of not less than 15 billion cubic meters of gas there), and on the decision of the issue on the construction of a gas refinery near the field to process 5 billion cubic meters of Karachaganak gas.
Under the plans of KazMunayGas, in the 2014-2021 period an advanced gas-processing plant shall be build on a stage-by-stage basis at Kаrachaganak with an annual processing capacity of 5 billion cubic meters of natural gas and production of 3.9 billion cubic meters of commodity gas, 410 thousand of sulphur and 4042 thousand barrels of wide fraction of light hydrocarbons.
At present, two scenarios of the project are under consideration by the competent body: the first has been worked out by Italian Eni which in 2009 signed a cooperation agreement with KazMunayGas, and the second – by British Petrofac. According to the variant proposed by Eni, the cost of the gas refinery can be estimated at $3.4 billion with the first turn erected in 2014-2017.
The period of elaboration of design estimates, given the approval by state bodies and state examination, in the assumption of the Italians, will take 24 months and cost $90.4 million, including the field and technical supervision and expert examination. Petrofac proposed to implement the project for the construction of gas processing capacities at Karachaganak in 2013-2016 by investing $2.55 billion in it. The British are planning to spend 9 months and $15 million to elaborate design estimates. The competent body has to select one of two offered scenarios.