Kashagan Field

Kashagan Field is an offshore oil field in the Kazakhstan's zone of the Caspian Sea. The field, discovered in 2000, is located in the northern part of the Caspian Sea close to Atyrau and it is considered the world's largest discovery in the last 30 years, combined with the Tengiz Field.

It is estimated that the Kashagan Field has recoverable reserves about 13 billion barrels (2.1×10^9 m3) of crude oil. Harsh conditions as sea ice during the winter, temperature variation from -35 to 40 °C (-31 to 104 °F), extremely shallow water and high level of hydrogen sulphide, together with mismanagement and disputes, make it one of the most challenging oil megaprojects. Commercial production is expected to start in the first half of 2013. It has been designated as the main source of supply for the Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline. CNN Money estimates it costs US$116 billion, which makes it the most expensive energy project in the world. However, other sources report the cost of $46 billion.