North Caspian Operating Company N.V. (NCOC) has completed a major infrastructure project for gasification of 10 settlements of the Azgir zone in Kurmangazinsky district of Atyrau region, as reported the company’s press service.

NCOC, the operator of the North Caspian project, developing the Kashagan field, helped to provide gas supply to a number of remote settlements in Kurmangazinsky district.

“For this purpose, NCOC carried out two projects, through which it built more than 365 km of main and inter-settlement high-pressure gas pipelines, as well as about 57 km of middle-and low-pressure intra-settlement gas pipelinesin the region,” the company reported.

The project also provided for construction of the automatic gas distribution station “Blue Flame-3000”, which consists of four containers with a set of equipment to reduce gas pressure. The company financed construction of 28 gas pressure reduction points to supply gas to the population.

Now gas is supplied to such settlements of Kurmangazinsky district of Atyrau region as Azgir, Asan, Balkuduk, Batyrbek, Yeginkuduk, Zhalgyzapan, Konyrterek, Koshalak, Suiyndyk and Ushtagan. Gas is supplied to the new networks from the existing Makat-Northern Caucasus gas pipeline.

NCOC noted that gas demand in this region was very high, asheating in hospitals and schools there was provided using liquid fuel. Now all these social facilities will be connected to the gas supply first.

The company held a ceremony in the regionfor the presentation of the project, which was attended by representatives of the Akimat of Atyrau region and the NCOC management. The long-awaited event for the villagers was dedicated to the 120th anniversary of Kazakhstani oil.

“Such a large-scale project for gasification of ten villages in Kurmangazinsky district is a bright example of cooperation between regional authorities and business in the region. Thanks to our joint efforts, more than 1,100 households can now connect to the centralized gas supply system. I sincerely congratulate all the villagers and I am glad that our project has helped bring comfort to the houses of our people,” said the Director for Corporate Services BauyrzhanAskarov.

The press service noted that NCOC built these gas pipelines as part of infrastructure and social projects. In general, the amount of direct investments in the Kashagan project, aimed at improving the living standards of the local population, exceeds $620 million. In addition, a number of social projects are at the development or construction stage, and the company works closely with Atyrau and Mangystau regions to complete them. Among them are projects on gasification, electrification and water supply, construction of roads, schools, kindergartens and hospitals.

North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) acts on behalf of seven consortium members as a designated operator for exploration and production of hydrocarbons in 11 blocks under the Production Sharing Agreement for the Northern Caspian Sea as of ​​November 18, 1997, as amended.

The contract area of 5,600 square kilometers as part of the NCSPSAincludes the Kashagan field, which is 80 km south-east of Atyrau. The area also includes the Kalamkas-Sea, South-West Kashagan, Aktoty and Kairan fields.

The shares of the Consortium members in the project are as follows: KMG Kashagan B.V – 16.88%, Agip Caspian Sea B.V. – 16.81%, ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc. – 16.81%, Shell Kazakhstan Development B.V. – 16.81%, Total E & P Kazakhstan – 16.81%, CNPC Kazakhstan B.V. – 8.33% and Inpex North Caspian Sea, Ltd. – 7.56%.