INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

Kashagan

As part of the North Caspian Sea PSA, Eni holds a 16.81% participating interest of the Kashagan giant field, 80 km south-east of Atyrau (Kazakhstan), which is believed to be one of the most important discovery (July 2000) in the world in the past thirty years.
The Kashagan South West, Kalamkas, Aktote and Kairan fields were also discovered in this offshore area.

In January 2009 a new Operating Model was introduced, which provides for the creation of a new joint operating company (NCOC, whose shareholders are the partners of the international consortium North Caspian Sea PSA), entails an increased role of the Kazakh partner and shares amongst the main international partners the execution of different project phases. In particular, through Agip Kazakhstan North Caspian Operating Company N.V. (Agip KCO) Eni is responsible for the execution of the first phase of development and for the onshore part of the second phase of development.
The development plan envisages field development through phases aiming at producing from 7 to 9 billion barrels of gross recoverable reserves, extendible to 13 billion barrels through partial gas reinjection.
In the medium term Eni's production in Kazakhstan is expected to grow due to the contribution of increased gas volumes produced at Karachaganak and the start up of Kashagan.

Project Scheme
Transportation
Map

The project scheme of this field provides for the construction of production hubs located on platforms and artificial islands which will collect production from satellite islands from which production wells will be drilled.
For the first development phase oil and non reinjected gas will be treated in the hubs and delivered, through two separate lines, to onshore treatment plants (located at Bolashak, near Atyrau). The oil will be further stabilized and purified. Natural gas will be treated for the removal of hydrogen sulphide and will be mostly used as fuel for the production plants; the remaining amount will be marketed.
The first development phase is progressing with the use of the most advanced techniques in order to cope with high pressures in the reservoir, presence of high concentration of hydrogen sulphide and harsh environmental conditions. By the end of August 2009, works had been completed corresponding to 65% of the target, with the total amount of contracts awarded at approximately $24 billion. First oil is forecasted for December 2012.

With the further phases of development, it is expected a full field production plateau of 1.5 mmbl/d, representing a 25% increase from the original target.
In the framework of the evaluation programme of other discoveries made in the contractual area covered by the North Caspian Sea PSA, appraisal wells of the Aktote, Kairan and Kalamkas structures were successfully drilled.

Kashagan - Artificial Island D

For exporting production to international markets various options are under scrutiny by the consortium. These include:

the use of existing infrastructure, such as the Caspian Pipeline Consortium pipeline (Eni's interest 2%) and the Atyrau-Samara pipeline;
the construction of a new transportation system. It is worth mentioning the project aimed at connecting the Bolashak production centre with the Baku-Tbilisi-Cehyan pipeline (Eni's interest 5% corresponding to the right to transport up to 50 kbbl/y);
the construction of a new transport system designed to bypass the Turkish Straits of Bosporus and Dardanelles, enabling delivery of oil produced in the Caspian region to the Ceyhan commercial hub on the Mediterranean coast. The future infrastructure is expected to be 550-kilometer long with a maximum transport capacity of 1 mmbbl/d of oil, expandable to 1.5 mmbbl/d.

Kashagan - Artificial Island A in winter