GENERAL INFORMATION
Map of Kazakhstan
Objective
International travellers face a wide range of working, travelling, and living conditions.
However, their highest risks will be those more routine in nature, I.e. transportation and work
site accidents, street crime, fires or accidents within accommodation and site locations.
This document is based on the idea that individual employees and the PROJECT they serve
are jointly responsible for the safety of employees, contractors and visitors.
For business travellers, this responsibility includes the time that they spend in transit and in
country. By compiling and updating this travel safety information, and making it widely
available to business travellers,
The content of this document is based on input from numerous BOLASHAK travellers and
numerous publications on international travel.
The 3 main sections are intended to cover, in sequence the critical information that a first
time or infrequent traveller might need to know before departure, upon arrival and while
working and exiting from Kazakhstan.
Much of the information presented here is either common knowledge to local staff (visas,
transport, etc.) or readily available from local or international resources (weather, culture,
etiquette).
It is not BOLASHAK’S intention to re invent the wheel but to give any visitor an insight so
that he or she travels and arrives safely and can live and work safely while in the country.
Land and People
1
Kazakhstan (also spelled, Kazakiya, Qazaqiya, Kazakh, officially the Republic of
Kazakhstan, is one of the six independent Turkic states.
It is located in Eurasia and ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also ranked
the world's largest landlocked country its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western
Europe.
It is neighbored clockwise from the north by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan, and also borders on a significant part of the Caspian Sea. The capital was
moved in 1997 from Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, to Astana.
Vast in size, the terrain of Kazakhstan ranges from flatlands, steppes, taigas, rock-canyons,
hills, deltas, and snow-capped mountains to deserts. With 16.2 million people 2010 census.
Kazakhstan has the 62nd largest population in the world, though its population density is less
than 6 people per square kilometer (15 per sq. mi.).
For most of its history, the territory of modern-day Kazakhstan has been inhabited by
nomadic tribes.
By the 16th century the Kazakhs emerged as a distinct group, divided into three hordes. The
Russians began advancing into the Kazakh steppe in the 18th century, and by the mid-19th
century all of Kazakhstan was part of the Russian Empire.
Following the 1917 Russian Revolution, and subsequent civil war, the territory of Kazakhstan
was re-organised several times before becoming the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in 1936,
a part of the USSR.
During the 20th century, Kazakhstan was the site of major Soviet projects, including
Khrushchev's Virgin Lands campaign, the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and the Semipalatinsk
"Polygon", the USSR's primary nuclear weapon testing site.
Kazakhstan declared itself an independent country on December 16, 1991, the last Soviet
republic to do so.
Its communist-era leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, became the country's new president. Since
independence, Kazakhstan has pursued a balanced foreign policy and worked to develop its
economy, especially its hydrocarbon industry.
While the country's economic outlook is improving, President Nazarbayev maintains strict
control over the country's politics. Nevertheless, Kazakhstan's international prestige is
building. It is now considered to be the dominant state in Central Asia.
The country is a member of many international organizations, including the United Nations,
NATO's Partnership for Peace, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization.
In 2010, Kazakhstan is chairing the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Kazakhstan is ethnically and culturally diverse, in part due to mass deportations of many
ethnic groups to the country during Stalin's rule.
2
Geography
The terrain extends west to east from the Caspian Sea to the Altay Mountains and north to
south from the plains of Western Siberia to the oases and deserts of Central Asia.
The Kazakh Steppe (plain), with an area of around 804,500 square kilometers
(310,600 sq. mi), occupies one-third of the country and is the world's largest dry steppe
region.
The steppe is characterized by large areas of grasslands and sandy regions. Important rivers
and lakes include: the Aral Sea, Ili River, Irtysh River, Ishim River, Ural River, Syr Darya,
Charyn River and gorge, Lake Balkhash and Lake Zaysan.
Charyn Canyon in northern Tian Shan
The climate is continental, with very warm summers with temperatures reaching +40 and
colder winters of -40 too extremes in weather climate. Precipitation varies between arid and
semi-arid
The Charyn Canyon is 150–300 meters deep and 80 kilometers long, cutting through the red
sandstone plateau and stretching along the Charyn River gorge in northern Tian Shan
("Heavenly Mountains", 200 km east of Almaty)
The steep canyon slopes, columns and arches rise to heights of 150–300 m. The
inaccessibility of the canyon provided a safe haven for a rare ash tree that survived the Ice
Age and is now also grown in some other areas. Bigach crater is a Pliocene or Miocene
asteroid impact crater, 8 kilometers (5 mi) in diameter and estimated at 5 ±3 million years
old.
Natural resources
Headquarters of KazMunayGaz, the national oil and Gas Company
3
Kazakhstan has an abundant supply of accessible mineral and fossil fuel resources.
Development of petroleum, natural gas, and mineral extraction has attracted most of the
over $40 billion in foreign investment in Kazakhstan since 1993 and accounts for some 57%
of the nation's industrial output (or approximately 13% of gross domestic product).
Kazakhstan has the second largest uranium, chromium, lead, and zinc reserves, the third
largest manganese reserves, the fifth largest copper reserves, and ranks in the top ten for
coal, iron, and gold.
It is also an exporter of diamonds. Perhaps most significant for economic development,
Kazakhstan also currently has the 11th largest proven reserves of both oil and natural gas. In
total, there are 160 deposits with over 2.7 billion tons of petroleum.
Oil explorations have shown that the deposits on the Caspian shore are only a small part of a
much larger deposit. It is said that 3.5 billion tons of oil and 2.5 trillion cubic meters of gas
could be found in that area. Overall the estimate of Kazakhstan's oil deposits is 6.1 billion
tons.
However, there are only 3 refineries within the country, situated in Atyrau, Pavlodar, and
Shymkent. These two refineries are not capable of processing the total crude output so much
of it is exported to Russia. Kazakhstan was producing approximately 1, 54 million barrels of
oil in 2009
BOLASHAK Was established in Kazakhstan in 2000, Since then, we have grown to become
the leading provider of manpower in Kazakhstan, playing a key role in supporting all the
major oil and gas projects in Kazakhstan, as well as providing a wide range of manpower
support to other industries with offices in Astana, Almaty, Atyrau, Aktau, Tengiz and Aksai,
With our London office covering all other International locations Bolashak has now grown
beyond its origins in Kazakhstan. Bolashak International was established in early 2009, with
our headquarters in Central London. We are now supplying our “complete solution” service
to Clients in international locations.
Our vision for the Future is to continue to provide our unique total support service in
Kazakhstan, and utilize our wide network of resource and experience to meet an increasing
demand for our services internationally.
People are the key to a successful future for Bolashak and our Clients. We place people at the
heart of our business to provide services of the greatest value to our Clients and build a
successful future for all
General information
Preparing for your trip to Kazakhstan
During the last several years there has been limited criminal activity involving Expats visiting
or living in Kazakhstan.
Nevertheless street crime is a factor of which you should always be conscious treat
Kazakhstan as you would any other city in the world.
Below are some pointers
 Try to dress appropriately for the surroundings and avoid unnecessary attention.
Avoid Apparel with National or Company logos; avoid crowds especially those
characterized by loud Discourse, confrontations or disturbances;

Remain aware of your surroundings at all times, carry BOLASHALK contact numbers
for the department which you come under

Transport to and from Airport will be provided by BOLASHAK as a service to our
clients, however depending on which project your to be assigned then the client will
make arrangements for day to day travel during working hours, Oil majors have
transportation coordinator’s at night and early in the morning.
4

It has been known for muggings on expats on an evening walking home even when
travelling in groups, you should not walk back to your accommodation or from one
establishment to another on your own you should have a cell phone if you are going
out unaccompanied the logistics coordinator of your project will make one available.

Visitors should use caution when travelling without project transportation, it’s
recommended to travel with another person when possible. Use caution and common
sense when planning after hour activities and night life in Kazakhstan, just as you
would in any larger Metropolitan cities world wide, local Taxis are not 100% safe so
please use with caution if you are forced to use this means of transport,

If possible, travel in groups and avoid conspicuous or ostentatious behaviour, leave
jewellery, Expensive watches, clothing, cameras, etc at home. Only carry necessary
cash, credit cards are not widely accepted in shops but are in ATM’S

Copy important documents (passports, visa, immigration cards, etc.) and record
Credit cards numbers and keep them with you in case your wallet or purse is lost or
stolen

Pedestrians should use caution when crossing streets. Cross at intersections and
follow Directions of the traffic officers or lights at intersections, use marked, "zebra"
pedestrian Crossing areas where available, when crossing a street be very careful,
traffic does Not give the pedestrian the right of way even if one is crossing with the
light or in a “zebra” Pedestrian crossing,

In Atyrau, guests who stay at the Marriott Apartments or the Atyrau Hotel will have
to cross a very busy dual carriageway in order to visit the TCO office or EMKI office.

Cross in the pedestrian cross walk when safe to do so. Be aware that local students
Cross here and that many may begin to cross without checking traffic; remember
that traffic does not have to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians

Watch your valuables; carry your wallet in your front pocket or purses securely under
your arm. be aware of possible pickpockets when in crowded areas, similar to other
European cities

Please note that during the months of November through March, Atyrau, Aksai,
Astana and Almaty Are often covered with snow and ice, visitors should be careful
when walking on snow or ice, Exiting vehicles, and walking up and down stairs, walk
slowly and maintain your centre of balance. Use proper footwear; beware of the risk
of falling icicles from building; we recommend you walk on the sidewalks next to the
street and away from the buildings.

Many office and government buildings have polished entries and floors constructed
from marble or granite. These become Very slippery when wet or in icy/snowy
conditions. Use extra caution,
Kazakhstan currency is Tenge having the exchange rates as of 30th of July 2010 of
approximately:
 $ 1 US Dollar
= 147.60 Tenge
 € 1 Euro
= 192.92 Tenge
 ₤ 1 British Pound
= 230.60 Tenge
Hotels and most restaurants accept credit cards. American Express cards are not widely
Accepted so visitors should be prepared to pay using alternative methods such as Visa,
MasterCard or in local currency
Local currency exchange is available at banks, official exchange offices and local hotels.
Visitors should exchange money at official exchange offices, hotels or banks as it is illegal to
exchange money with individuals.
5
Automatic teller machines (ATMs) are available and most work with Visa or MasterCard;
American Express ATM access is limited.
Notification of Travel Plans
Because of the strict procedure for obtaining Work Visas approximately 8-10 weeks in some
case’s and a scarcity of Western standard hotels, BOLASHAK Atyrau being head office will
plan the trip well in advance and notify the relevant offices depending on your work location
and your pending arrival date several weeks prior to travelling. Provide travel plans, travel
dates, airline schedules and hotel arrangements.
BOLASHAK travel coordinators will assure that visiting employees comply with applicable
registration requirements,
Pre-entry visa
 Make sure that you have a correct and valid Kazakhstan visa, on many occasion it
has been know for employees to travel the day before the visa is valid, so please
check prior to departure, this will save a lot of hard work at the arriving airport

All travellers, even those simply transiting Kazakhstan for less than 72 hours, must
obtain a Kazakhstan visa before entering the country. Travellers should be aware that
overstaying the validity period of a visa will result in fines and delays upon exit.

Keep in mind that processing a letter of invitation (LOI) for a work visa to Kazakhstan
takes about 2 weeks.

Visa’s can be obtained at the airport upon arrival to Kazakhstan, however this is not a
work permit / Visa it is a Business visa, if a business visa is what your after then
make sure that you have two passport size photos for an airport arrival visa.

The maximum allowed days in Kazakhstan for a business visa is 60 calendar days
within 1 calendar year. If visitor exceeds the 60 days period, he / she can be arrested
and deported from the country. Therefore, each visitor should control that he / she
does not exceed this period.

Avoid travel on a passport with less than 6 months remaining validity and
having no less than 3 blank pages in your passport. Some countries require
at least 6 months remaining validity before issuing a visa.
Meet and Greet
On arrival at the airport you will be met by BOLASHAK representative’s wearing a black
insulated jacket (Winter Months) and a Polo Shirt during the summer months both items of
clothing will have the BOLASHAK logo on the breast and sleeve. They will also be carrying a
board with ‘BOLASHAK’ the representative will advise you as to where you are staying i.e.
hotel Chagala 1 & 2, Renaissance, Tengri etc, the following day depending on location you
will be taken to BOLASHAK office to be advised of your forthcoming Blue book training and
examination (Safety Training) training will take approximately 1 day
New arrivals
Once you have cleared immigration you will need to registered with the local authorities, your
passport will be taken by our meet and greet staff at the airport and returned approximately
5 working days later, its IMPERATIVE you don’t lose your arrival and departure card,
if lost it WILL cause serious delays when exiting Kazakhstan
Contact Details
Please ensure you take the Emergency Contact Details sheet with you (enclosed) in case of
emergency.
RoK Blue Book Training
RoK (Republic of Kazakhstan) HSE training is mandatory to anyone who is involved in Oil and
Gas based either onshore or offshore has to undertake the above basic HSE training within
the 1st 30 days of arrival in Kazakhstan, without the HSE blue book training any work involved
on or offsite will not be allowed, new arrivals to KAZ will be sent the above document via
6
email etc prior to arrival, the course notes are designed for a basic 40hrs of study, the exam
will take around 4-5hrs
Accommodation
Different types of accommodation are provided according to the different needs of single
rotators, single residents and residents with varying family sizes.
The allocation of types and location of accommodation is done by the Project (Client) Agip,
Tengiz Cheviol, and NCPOC etc in accordance with their own Company’s policy on Expatriate
Accommodation
Food and beverage
Over the last few years the quality of the life in Atyrau has grown rapidly. Many supermarkets
have been opened and you can buy most common goods.
Fruit and vegetables (especially the seasonable ones) can be found easily in the open
markets and the quality and the taste is no different from Europe. Furthermore other kinds of
fruit (not seasonable) are available and imported from Europe and further afar.
Local beer, wine and spirits are also available together with more expensive imports from
abroad. It’s now a common sight to find imported wines from Italy, France and South
America as well as whisky from Scotland.
Alcohol Policy
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy
Bolashak believes that the abuse of alcohol and the misuse of drugs or other
substances are incompatible with a safe and productive work environment.
This policy has been adopted to define the standards and procedural requirements
to mitigate possible impacts on the business from substance abuse.
Compliance with this policy is a condition of employment and a condition of access
to Bolashak premises during or out with normal working hours. Non – compliance
with this policy will result in removal from the premises and/or disciplinary
action, up to and including termination of employment.



The use, possession or distribution of controlled drugs or misuse of other
substances, while on company provided premises, or while on company
business is prohibited.
Reporting for work while intoxicated by alcohol, under the influence drugs
or other substances is prohibited.
The possession of alcohol in unsealed containers or the consumption of
alcohol on Bolashak premises is prohibited, except as part of a company
function authorised by a Department Manager, or on specified premises at
which alcohol may be used in a controlled manner.

If prescription drugs are to be brought onto Company premises, the drugs
must be in the bottle or container in which they were originally dispensed
and in the possession of the person to whom they were originally
dispensed. Prescription drugs not complying with the foregoing
requirement shall be considered by company to be illegal drugs.

The possession or consumption of alcohol at any workplace or location
including arrival at an embarkation point under the influence of alcohol is
prohibited.

Submission to searches is strictly voluntary, except at embarkation points
which are not operated by Bolashak. Refusal to give voluntary consent to
searches shall result in the person being denied entrance to company
premises. Persons on company premises who decline to give voluntary
consent to searches shall be asked to leave company premises and or
disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
7

All Company facilities shall post this policy on HSE Notice Boards advising
employees, contractors and visitors of this policy. Copies of this policy
endorsed by the Managing Director shall be permanently posted on HSE
Notice Boards.
Health Safety and Environment policy
The ultimate goal of BOLASHAK at every level of our organisation shall be to
achieve business success in all that we do; we need to continuously strive to
improve our Health, Safety and Environment performance now and into the
future.

Managing all Company activities of our own employees, Client employees
and employees of Sub - Contractors through their life cycles in away that
protects the Health and Safety of all personnel and ensures the protection
of the Environment.

Ensuring the Management of HSE is seen by all as a critical business
activity

Managing HSE to achieve our objective of incident free operations (zero
incidents)

Play a leading role in the promotion and practice of its health and safety
program.

Reporting within established procedure on our HSE performance

Creating a culture in which Bolashak employees and our Clients and
Contractors share these commitments.
In this way we aim to have an HSE performance we can be proud of which will
install and earn the confidence in our workforce, clients and contractors in all
areas which we work
All Divisions shall

Have a systematic approach to HSE Management ensuring compliance with
country laws, company and international standards and achieving
continual improvement.

Assess HSE risks and take appropriate action to control these risks as part
of normal business

Set objectives and targets for measuring and improving HSE performance
across the business.

Include HSE performance in staff appraisals and develop employees HSE
skills accordingly
Bolashak will support any employee who requests that work should stop, if that
person assesses the work to be a threat to the safety of personnel the
environment or they believe themselves to be in immediate danger
8
Local Time Zones
In Kazakhstan there is no difference between summer and winter time
Table below shows the time difference between Atyrau and other main world locations
City
Houston
London
Amsterdam
Milan
Moscow
Almaty
Astana
Winter season
+ 11 hours
+ 5 hours
+ 4 hours
+ 4 hours
+ 2 hours
+ 1 hour
+ 1 hour
Summer season
+ 10 hours
+ 4 hours
+ 3 hours
+ 3 hours
+ 1 hour
+ 1 hour
+ 1 hour
National Holidays
Local staff and Expatriates staff on residential contract receives time of for the following
National Holidays:
Whilst on rotational shift, expatriates staff do not receive days off for Local Holidays.
January 1-2
March 8
March 22
May 1
May 9
August 30
October 25
December 16
New Year
International Woman’s Day
Nauryz (Traditional Spring Holiday)
Kazakhstan People’s Unity Day
Victory Day (World War II)
Constitution Day
Republic Day
Independence Day
Travel
Air Astana airlines performs commercial international flights from Atyrau to Western Countries
as per following schedule:
Amsterdam
Every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and Friday
Istanbul
Every Tuesday/Friday and Sunday
This schedule allows for connection on international flights and other airlines to most
destinations in Europe and North America.
Other countries can be reached on different days (not convenient but useful in case of
urgency) also via Almaty, Astana, Aktau and Moscow. Note, for travelling via Moscow, a
Russian valid visa is essential
Flight Coupons
Depending on the client which are to be seconded to it may well be a requirement within the
clients travel department to hand in your boarding pass / passes on your return trip to
Kazakhstan either after vacation or any business trips, so please bear this in mind, the travel
department may not ask for the coupons on the day you arrive in Kaz but surely will at a later
date,
Communications
Internet / Email are relatively easy to access in Kazakhstan. However there are no Internet
cafes situated in Atyrau. Telephone communications using mobile networks are reasonable,
however a number of work sites suffer from poor or unreliable mobile coverage. The country
code for Kazakhstan is +7 followed by the number
Health
Basic, limited medical facilities are available in some parts of Kazakhstan.
You should check with your doctor well in advance of travelling to Kazakhstan as regards
inoculations. Earlier this year the Kazakhstan Health Authority introduced mandatory HIV test
for new arrivals, the test must be taken within the 5 days of arriving in country,
9
Lifeline Plus
Emergency assistance, While it provides all insured employees with business travel
benefits, including all-important emergency assistance, it also offers a range of web and
telephone* based services you can use at any time - even if you’re not making a claim.
If you need assistance call our 24/7 Emergency Helpline on +44 (0)20 8762 8326 and talk
to one of their multilingual assistance co-ordinators.
The co-ordinators are experienced in dealing with hospitals and clinics worldwide and backed
by medical consultants and nursing staff, to help ensure you get the most appropriate
medical treatment. Please visit www.mylifeline.co.uk for further information on Insurance
benefits
SOS Clinic
Through their worldwide network of alarm centres, clinics, and health and logistics providers,
they offer local expertise, preventative advice, and emergency assistance during critical
illness, accident, or civil unrest.
Patient transportation services
These include ambulance services and tickets for travel on scheduled airlines, to medical or
security evacuations by helicopter, jet or military aircraft, if necessary.
Dedicated fleet of air ambulances
These can be immediately deployed and have adult as well as neonatal and paediatric
emergency care capabilities.
Their dedicated air ambulances are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and are located
in Germany, South Africa, Namibia, China and Papua New Guinea. Combined, their flying
range can provide evacuation services worldwide.
Aero-medical expertise,
Having over 1,800 full-time doctors, nurses, medics and aero-medical specialists, all SOS
medical crews are trained in advanced life support and aviation medicine and provide
personalized care and assistance.
Recommended Vaccinations
Tuberculosis
Hepatitis A (infectious hepatitis)
Hepatitis B
Meningitis
Rabies
Tetanus
Typhoid
Malaria
Risk of malaria in Kazakhstan is very small, and prevention by malaria tablets is not recommended.
Measures to avoid bites should always be taken, and if malaria is prevalent in an area you are
travelling to, you should always take preventive medicine.
Avoid Mosquito Bites - Mosquitoes bite particularly at twilight and at night, so you should
take most precautions during this time.
Sleep in rooms that are properly screened with gauze over the windows and doors. There
should be no holes in the gauze and no unscreened entry points to the room.
Long trousers, long-sleeved clothing and socks thick enough to stop the mosquitoes biting
will also protect you, and should be worn outside after sunset. However, it may be hard to
follow such advice in a hot climate. Light colours are less attractive to mosquitoes.
10
Embassy Details
It is generally recommended that individuals staying in Kazakhstan for three months or more
to register at their National Embassy / High Commission.
British Nationals
British Nationals can register online at the following website
https://www.locate.fco.gov.uk/locateportal/
Astana
British Embassy, Astana
62, Kosmonavtov Street
6 Floor, 010000
Telephone: +7 (7172) 556200
Fax:
+7 (7172) 556211
Office Hours: GMT: Mon-Thurs: 0300-1130;
Fri: 0300-1000
Local: Mon-Thurs: 0900-1730; Fri: 09001600
http://ukinkz.fco.gov.uk
Almaty
British Embassy Office, Almaty
Samal Towers, 97 Zholdasbekova street,
Block A2, 9 Floor, 050051
Telephone: +7 (7272) 506191
Fax:
+7 (7272) 507962
Office Hours: GMT: Mon-Thurs: 0230-1100; Fri:
0230-0930
Local: Mon-Thurs: 0830-1700; Fri: 0830-1530
http://ukinkz.fco.gov.uk
Kashagan Experimental Project D Island
Giant field beneath the northern Caspian
The Kashagan field is the largest oilfield discovered in the North Caspian Sea. It is considered
to be the most important oil discovery worldwide since the Prudhoe Bay in Alaska’s North
Slope in 1968. Kashagan extends over a surface of approximately 75 x 45 km and is named
after a 19th century Kazakh poet from Aktau.
The reservoir was deposited in the shallow marine water depositional environment some 350
million years ago. It is currently estimated that the field holds up to 35 billion barrels of oil in
place of which 9 billion are potentially recoverable with associated gas re-injection, it is
estimated that recoverable reserves could increase to 11bn. Kashagan’s development
represents a complex combination of coordinated offshore and onshore activities, including
survey, construction and commissioning, drilling, logistics, development and production.
Unique environment
Offshore operations are conducted in extreme weather conditions. Winters are harsh and
temperatures can drop to -40ºC (-40ºF), while summer temperatures can reach +40ºC
(+104ºF).
Low saline content in the water in the northern Caspian means that ice build-up is quick and
the sea is frozen in winter. The sea waters are frozen for 4-5 months, from November to
March. For the rest of the year, the northern Caspian is subject to rapid sea level fluctuations,
up to one meter, due to storm surges and winds. The combination of ice, shallow waters and
sea level fluctuations represents a significant logistical challenge.
11
Technological complexity
The Kashagan project is a unique combination of technical complexity and environmental
challenges. The size and the variety of operations make it one of the greatest challenges of the
petroleum industry worldwide.
All Agip KCO offshore facilities need to be carefully protected from the harsh winter conditions,
especially pack-ice movements.
Deep reservoir - 4,500 m
High reservoir pressure - 800 bar
High H2S (Hydrogen Sulphide) content - 16-20%
Management of by-products, such as sulphur
Use of sour gas re-injection into the reservoir
Iskenye West Karabatan
Agip KCO is building an inland complex approximately 30 km east of the city of Atyrau,
the Bolashak Onshore Processing Facility Note the project name being BOLASHAK
which is a coincidence by the way means FUTURE in Kazakh,
A pipeline will take crude from the Kashagan Field to the Bolashak complex, which covers an
area the size of Amsterdam, while the Kazakhstan government asked Agip KCO to separate
the sulfur from the oil at the offshore facility, also known as Island D, only initial separation
will occur offshore,
Continued
However the majority of the sulfur will be separated from the oil at the Bolashak complex,
and the sulfur will then be stored in 30-meter pool-pyramid structures.
The Bolashak complex is situated 7 km from the settlement of Karabatan (approximately 25
homes), and 5 km from the settlement of Iskenye (approximately 60 homes). There are no
stores, services, schools, telephones or streets in either community.
The Giant Karachaganak Field
Karachaganak Field is a gas condensate field in Kazakhstan. It is located about 150 km
east from the city of Oral (Uralsk) in the northwest of Kazakhstan.
The field was once a massive Permian and Carboniferous reef complex covering an area
30 km by 15 km.
At its largest point the reservoir contains a gas column 1450 m deep with a 200 m deep
oil rim below it. It is estimated to contain 1.2 trillion cubic meters 42.4 trillion cubic feet
(tcf) of gas and 1 billion tones of liquid condensate and oil.
Discovered in 1979, it began production under Karachaganckgazprom, a subsidiary of
the Russian Gas Company Gazprom. Kazakh gas took over operatorship after the
independence of Kazakhstan in 1992.
In 1992 AGIP (now Eni) and the then British Gas (now BG Group) were awarded the
sole negotiating rights, forming a partnership company. In 1997 Texaco (now Chevron
Corporation) and Lukoil signed a production sharing agreement with the original two
companies and the Kazakhstan Government.
This is a 40-year agreement to develop the field to allow the production to reach world
markets. This is done under a partnership company known as Karachaganak Petroleum
Operating (KPO) where BG Group and ENI are joint operators with a 32.5% stake each
in the company, with Chevron and Lukoil owning 20% and 15% respectively.
Caring for people and environment
Agip KCO is committed to conducting its operations responsibly and in compliance with
the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan and international regulations, respecting the
environment, culture and traditions of the people of Kazakhstan.
In conducting its operations, the Company applies the best practices and technologies, looks
for best solutions to minimize the generation of discharges and emissions that may have a
12
negative impact on the environment and promotes the use of environmentally-friendly
products and services.
In accordance with the mission, vision and values of the Agip KCO Corporate Management
System, the Company is committed to:
Pursuing the goal of ‘no harm to people’
Protecting the environment
Using materials and energy efficiently
Creating a culture in which Agip KCO employees and contractors share
These commitments
13