Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Some seven billion cubic meters of associated gas will be sent to the integrated gas-chemical complex in Atyrau, Trend news agency reported on Sept.24, citing director of petrochemicals and technical regulation of Kazakh Oil and Gas Ministry Sholpan Haydargalieva.

"Some seven billion cubic meters of associated gas will be sent to the United Chemical Company LLP," Haydargalieva said at the press-conference in Astana. "About 2 billion cubic meters of it will be sent to the refinery to produce ethane, propane and butane fractions. The remaining part will go back to Tengizchevroil for re-injection of gas in order to enhance oil recovery of layers at the Tengiz field."

According to her, the gas from the Tengiz field will be used at the first stage, then gas condensate from the Karachaganak field will be used as a raw material and gas from the giant Kashagan field will complete the complex's first phase.

Recoverable oil reserves of Kashagan field are estimated at 11 billion barrels, whereas total geological raw material reserves stand at 35 billion barrels. Besides, natural gas reserves are estimated at over 1 trillion cubic meters.

The Tengiz oil field is one of the deepest and largest oil fields in the world. Reserves of the deposit are estimated at 750 million to 1.1 billion tons (6-9 billion barrels) of recoverable oil.

Karachaganak is one of the world's largest fields. Its oil reserves amount to 1.2 billion tons, while those of natural gas are 1.35 trillion cubic meters.

According to Haydargalieva, the construction of the first integrated gas-chemical complex with total designed capacity of 1.25 million tons of polyethylene and propylene per year has been commissioned in the Atyrau province.

"A construction area was prepared and the construction of a number of facilities began," she said. "Major work will begin after the financing is solved. Chinese Eximbank (Export-Import Bank) will provide loans. We will talk about large-scale work after the financing is provided."

Work on the construction of the complex, the cost of which is estimated at $ 6.3 billion, is carried out by Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries Ltd company. The complex is being built near the Bolashak plant where it is supposed to refine the oil of the Kashagan field.

Part of the gas produced as a result of oil refining should serve as a starting material for the new complex.

The construction of the first gas chemical complex, given its high project cost, will be divided into two phases.

The implementation of the first phase which should be completed in 2014, involves the commissioning of the line for production of polypropylene with capacity of about 500,000 tons per year.