OREANDA-NEWS. April 15, 2015. Shell, jointly with KMG, as part of ‘Kazakhstan Upstream Oil and Gas Technology and R&D Roadmap’, endorsed by the President of Kazakhstan following the FIC 26th Plenary session, completed the works on building the first-ever in Kazakhstan a Center of Excellence for Geochemical Studies in upgraded facilities at the CaspiMunaiGaz Laboratory Complex in Atyrau. OREANDA-NEWS. April 15, 2015.

The official opening of the new facility took place on April 13that CaspiMunaiGaz Laboratory Complex, involving representatives from the Government and major companies of the oil and gas industry.

Kuralbek Keldjanov, Deputy Shell Kazakhstan Country Chairman said: “I think this laboratory facilities will open new horizons in the history of Kazakhstan’s oil industry: there is an opportunity to discover new hydrocarbon reserves and to make the operations much cheaper, saving millions of dollars”. “We hope that the laboratory will start getting the orders by the end of this year not only from our country and maybe from the neighboring countries, too. May good success attend you”, he added.

This new laboratory will provide geochemical services and research for exploration, development and production. Alongside with standard exploration research, the laboratory will use a wide range of new technologies, including the geochemical ‘fingerprinting’, which are very important to address some of the industry’s major challenges in Kazakhstan.

The introduction of these cutting-edge technologies and ‘know-how’ will enable to deliver a high quality new data, that can be used to improve field economics, extend field’s life, maximize oil production with least number of wells and at minimum cost.

In the frameworks of the project, Shell financed the procurement and commissioning of the new equipment and organized training of the local staff. This new facility is handed over on turn-key basis to "CaspiMunaiGaz".

For the effective operation of the new equipment and for the implementation of analytical tasks Shell is also providing expert support and specialized training for the new staff that will be organized in stages during 2015. It is expected that "CaspiMunaiGaz" will start offering word-class geochemical services to the industry by the end of 2015. In future, Kazakhstan has the opportunity to become a center of excellence and a regional hub for geochemical studies.

INFORMATION FOR EDITORS

· In 2013 the work on the development of the Kazakhstan Upstream Technology and R&D Roadmap was completed. This project was led by Shell with the participation of the leading oil and gas companies and Kazakhstan research institutes.

· This was a unique undertaking that combined more than 300 representatives of the oil and gas community in Kazakhstan to achieve the common vision of the technological development of the sector.

· In accordance to the protocol instructions of the President of Kazakhstan on the results of the 26th Plenary Session of the Foreign Investors’ Council held in May 2013, the Government of Kazakhstan was in charge of organizing practical implementation of the Road Map where oil & gas companies and organizations were invited to participate in the elaboration of the identified target areas.

· Ministry of Energy provides support, monitors and controls work progress on Road Map activities under general coordination of KazEnergy association.

· On October 9th 2013 Shell and KMG signed a Memorandum of Understanding with respect to the study of possibilities of the cooperation in the sphere of fluid properties analysis in the frameworks of the Roadmap implementation.