Kazakhstan’s flagship Kashagan oil field has overcome problems that marred operations in 2022 to have an “excellent year” in 2023, with the strategic CPC export route also performing “really well,” TotalEnergies’ chairman for the Central Asian country, Frode Ljones, told S&P Global Commodity Insights.

Speaking on the sidelines of Kazakhstan Energy Week, Ljones voiced confidence in the giant Kashagan project and said work was progressing in response to calls for more gas production that the authorities are making of all three major upstream projects in Kazakhstan.

The Kashagan field, on stream since 2016, suffered reduced production for several months in the second half of 2022 after a gas leak was discovered at an onshore processing plant, prompting comparisons with the major hydrogen sulfide corrosion issues and leaks that dogged the field’s startup.

Kashagan is one of the world’s most expensive ever oil projects, with a cost at the time of startup estimated at over $50 billion, but vast resources that could enable production into the 22nd century.

The offshore field is generally the second highest contributor to CPC Blend, which loads in the Russian port of Novorossiisk and is a vital supply source for Europe — currently receiving increased attention due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Current Kashagan production is “a bit” under 430,000 b/d, Ljones said, adding that production tends to dip in summer as hot weather reduces the capacity of machinery such as turbines — temperatures reached the mid-40 degrees Celsius range in western Kazakhstan this year.

“Kashagan today is producing very well. This year has been an excellent year,” Ljones said.

Prices for CPC Blend have largely recovered since the immediate aftermath of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The grade was assessed by Platts at a $1.20/b discount to Dated Brent on Oct. 5, according to S&P Global data.

Despite an attack on a Russian naval vessel close to the CPC loading facilities in August, CPC loading operations are thought to have been largely unaffected.

“CPC has been very stable, no problem at all,” Ljones said. “We haven’t had any issues transporting oil from the Black Sea — of course you’ve seen that it’s taking longer time to get through the [Turkish] Straits and Turkey and so on… to get the paperwork done, and bad weather sometimes, but it’s not necessarily linked directly to the war in Ukraine,” he said, noting that TotalEnergies, though a Kashagan shareholder, holds no stake in the CPC export system.

CPC positivity

The comments echoed the upbeat tone of both Kazakh and international officials at the flagship oil and gas event, as the CEO of state company KazMunaiGaz, Magzum Mirzagaliyev, said there were no “major worries” over the CPC route, and Shell upstream director Zoe Yujnovich described Kazakh assets such as Kashagan as operating at “world-class” standard.

Asked about recent arbitration proceedings in which the Kazakh government has been seeking to claw back potentially billions of dollars, Ljones played down the issue as typical for production sharing contract arrangements around the world. “It’s nothing,” he underlined.

Asked about future liquids production increases at Kashagan, Ljones confirmed these are expected to be linked to planned increases in supplying gas to the country’s gas grid, rather than an approach based on reinjecting gas.

Kazakh authorities are emphasizing gas production increases as the solution to power outages that have hit the oil-producing west of the country in particular. Ljones noted TotalEnergies’ involvement in a 1 GW wind power project in southern Kazakhstan that will feature major battery storage of energy, in a first for the country, with the project taking place under an inter-governmental agreement between France and Kazakhstan.

The Kashagan operating consortium announced in September the start of work to lay a pipeline that will supply 1 Bcm/year of gas to a third-party processing plant. The gas offtake project will enable an increase in the field’s crude production of 25,000 b/d, the consortium said at the time. No timeframe has been given for the output increase, expected to be the next sizable increase in Kashagan crude production.

“The republic has clearly asked for increased gas production — all the operators,” Ljones said. “They are discussing with all the big fields how can we increase the gas supply, that’s a general request to the industry and specifically the three mega projects,” he said, referring to the Tengiz, Kashagan and Karachaganak field developments that underpin CPC crude.

He added that the issue of hydrogen sulfide corrosion, which has been a long-standing issue at Kashagan, “can be handled” in respect of future production increases, with gas expected to be sent by pipeline from the artificial production islands in the Caspian for processing onshore.

Source: SP Global

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Four people have been detained in Tajikistan in connection with the kidnapping of Shuhrat Ismatulloev, the deputy chairman of Oriyonbank, reported Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, Radio Ozodi, on July 3. 

49-year-old Ismatulloev was forced into a black Hyundai Sonata car by four individuals around 8pm on the evening of June 23 in Dushanbe and taken to an unknown location, officials said. 

He is one of the top executives at Oriyonbank (also known as Orienbank or Orienbonk), one of the Central Asian nation’s leading banks.

The case has become international as one suspect fled to Moldova, where he shot dead two security staff after being denied entry to the country on June 30. 

According to Radio Liberty, at least four people have now been detained in Tajikistan on suspicion of belonging to an organised criminal group responsible for his kidnapping. 

Radio Liberty sources did not disclose the names of those detained but said they are all former law enforcement officers who collaborated with criminals in carrying out the abduction.

One of the detainees is identified as a former employee of the interior ministry and the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, said a source close to the investigation on July 2. 

Another source close to the Ismatulloev family mentioned the arrest of a former employee of the prosecutor’s office. 

The kidnappers reportedly used counterfeit police license plates, allowing them to drive at high speeds and ignore traffic regulations without being halted by the authorities, according to Radio Liberty. 

As a result, their vehicle, equipped with tinted windows, was not subjected to scrutiny at a traffic police checkpoint on the outskirts of the city.

Tajikistan’s interior ministry reported the suspected kidnapping on June 26, and announced a $30,000 reward for information leading to finding the banker, who went missing three days earlier.

Tajik national Rustan Ashurov, who was wanted by the police for suspected involvement in the kidnapping, fled the country to Chisinau, Moldova. 

Ashurov shot dead a police officer and a security guard at Chisinau airport on June 30, after he was denied entry to Moldovan territory, the Ministry of Interior announced on July 1.

The 43-year-old was not allowed the enter the country as an effect of the tighter security regulations enforced by Moldova amid security threats posed by Russia. Under the regulations, people not able to explain the reason of their visit can be denied access, which often happens at Chisinau airport.

While being escorted to a special area at the airport, the man seized a gun from a border police officer and killed two people. He was later captured by a larger security team. 

“The policeman was taken by surprise. It all happened in seconds … It was found that the attacker is a citizen of the Republic of Tajikistan who yesterday [June 30], becoming aggressive, attacked the border police by opening fire on him and the airport security agent. These two people died as a result of the incident,” said a statement from the Moldovan interior ministry on July 1. 

“Over the last hours being in direct communication with the authorities in Tajikistan, it has been found that this person is wanted internationally after abducting a bank manager,” the statement added. 

A murder case has been opened against the attacker, who is currently in serious condition in hospital.

Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on July 2 that representatives of the Tajik Prosecutor General’s Office are in contact with their Moldovan counterparts. 

“Law enforcement officers of Tajikistan and senior officials of the embassy of our country in Moldova (with residence in Kyiv) were sent to the city of Chisinau to interact with Moldovan colleagues to clarify all the circumstances of the incident,” said the statement, quoted by news agency Avesta. 

“We draw attention to the official announcement of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Tajikistan that R. Ashurov is one of the participants in an organised criminal group involved in the kidnapping of the first deputy chairman of the Oriyenbank of Tajikistan,” according to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” 

The ministry also expressed its condolences to the families of the two victims of the attack. 

Moldova’s President Maia Sandu has declared July 4 a day of national mourning for Sergei Muntean and Igor Ciofu.

An extraordinary meeting of the National Committee of Aeronautical Security was called on July 2 and an expert working group has been set up to draw up proposals to ensure security at Chisinau International Airport, said a statement posted by the Moldovan interior ministry on its Facebook page. 

Source: Intellinews

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Four people have been detained in Tajikistan in connection with the kidnapping of Shuhrat Ismatulloev, the deputy chairman of Oriyonbank, reported Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, Radio Ozodi, on July 3. 

49-year-old Ismatulloev was forced into a black Hyundai Sonata car by four individuals around 8pm on the evening of June 23 in Dushanbe and taken to an unknown location, officials said. 

He is one of the top executives at Oriyonbank (also known as Orienbank or Orienbonk), one of the Central Asian nation’s leading banks.

The case has become international as one suspect fled to Moldova, where he shot dead two security staff after being denied entry to the country on June 30. 

According to Radio Liberty, at least four people have now been detained in Tajikistan on suspicion of belonging to an organised criminal group responsible for his kidnapping. 

Radio Liberty sources did not disclose the names of those detained but said they are all former law enforcement officers who collaborated with criminals in carrying out the abduction.

One of the detainees is identified as a former employee of the interior ministry and the Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, said a source close to the investigation on July 2. 

Another source close to the Ismatulloev family mentioned the arrest of a former employee of the prosecutor’s office. 

The kidnappers reportedly used counterfeit police license plates, allowing them to drive at high speeds and ignore traffic regulations without being halted by the authorities, according to Radio Liberty. 

As a result, their vehicle, equipped with tinted windows, was not subjected to scrutiny at a traffic police checkpoint on the outskirts of the city.

Tajikistan’s interior ministry reported the suspected kidnapping on June 26, and announced a $30,000 reward for information leading to finding the banker, who went missing three days earlier.

Tajik national Rustan Ashurov, who was wanted by the police for suspected involvement in the kidnapping, fled the country to Chisinau, Moldova. 

Ashurov shot dead a police officer and a security guard at Chisinau airport on June 30, after he was denied entry to Moldovan territory, the Ministry of Interior announced on July 1.

The 43-year-old was not allowed the enter the country as an effect of the tighter security regulations enforced by Moldova amid security threats posed by Russia. Under the regulations, people not able to explain the reason of their visit can be denied access, which often happens at Chisinau airport.

While being escorted to a special area at the airport, the man seized a gun from a border police officer and killed two people. He was later captured by a larger security team. 

“The policeman was taken by surprise. It all happened in seconds … It was found that the attacker is a citizen of the Republic of Tajikistan who yesterday [June 30], becoming aggressive, attacked the border police by opening fire on him and the airport security agent. These two people died as a result of the incident,” said a statement from the Moldovan interior ministry on July 1. 

“Over the last hours being in direct communication with the authorities in Tajikistan, it has been found that this person is wanted internationally after abducting a bank manager,” the statement added. 

A murder case has been opened against the attacker, who is currently in serious condition in hospital.

Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on July 2 that representatives of the Tajik Prosecutor General’s Office are in contact with their Moldovan counterparts. 

“Law enforcement officers of Tajikistan and senior officials of the embassy of our country in Moldova (with residence in Kyiv) were sent to the city of Chisinau to interact with Moldovan colleagues to clarify all the circumstances of the incident,” said the statement, quoted by news agency Avesta. 

“We draw attention to the official announcement of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Tajikistan that R. Ashurov is one of the participants in an organised criminal group involved in the kidnapping of the first deputy chairman of the Oriyenbank of Tajikistan,” according to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” 

The ministry also expressed its condolences to the families of the two victims of the attack. 

Moldova’s President Maia Sandu has declared July 4 a day of national mourning for Sergei Muntean and Igor Ciofu.

An extraordinary meeting of the National Committee of Aeronautical Security was called on July 2 and an expert working group has been set up to draw up proposals to ensure security at Chisinau International Airport, said a statement posted by the Moldovan interior ministry on its Facebook page. 

Source: bne Intellinews

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